Impressions
by mcangel1976
Summary: Human AU (for most part). Bella moved to Forks and does not understand her popularity. The Cullen's seem to keep to themselves and now Bella has rescued Edward and a beautiful, mysterious man from a plane crash. Now the man is a ghost named Garrett who is haunting her...or is he. Things are a little fuzzy and she isn't sure what's real any longer.
1. Crash

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters, but they are fun to use in my Fanfiction stories.**

 **A/N: This is a request from Kantorkan. The story idea I got after I re-watched an older movie called Somewhere Tomorrow. For the most part, it will be human AU, but not completely. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1 – Crash

Sometimes the things you expect to happen in your life, are not what happens. A boring life can suddenly turn extraordinary and change at the flip of a coin. When Bella decided to move to this nowhere small town in the overcast state of Washington, she thought her life would be nothing to brag about until she could graduate high school and leave for college, only then would she find herself with a real life again; however, life had a funny way of surprising anyone who thought like this.

Her time in Forks was supposed to be more like a prison sentence, and yet, Bella found she was Miss Popular on the first day of school, garnering an instant posse. Some that hung around her, she got the distinct impression they did not really like her or were jealous, for example, the girl named Jessica. However, since some of the cute boys were with Bella, Jessica was right there in the middle of the crowd. And then there were the boys…they almost suffocated her with their nearness, which was something she wasn't used to.

One would think being from Phoenix, Bella would look slightly different…more exotic maybe. Her pale skin went more to blending in with a ghost more than it seemed to belong in the south. And that was probably the first thing the students of Forks liked to point out. With her long plain brown hair paired with her common brown eyes, she was one in a million, and therefore, could not figure out why the students here were so interested in her. Sure she was new, but that did not make her news; at least not in her own eyes. Part of her wondered how deprived these people were if they were so interested in her because she was the first new student they had had in a while – not that she would say that aloud. Maybe she had to have lived there her whole life, and then she would understand, but she highly doubted that.

About the only people who were all gaga over her, were the Cullen kids. She tried to talk to one of them and got the brush off. Edward, she was told, was a loner and liked to keep it that way. In fact, they all were. The Cullen's were apparently the other newbies in school – newbie being a relative term for anyone that had not gone to school there since kindergarten – since they had only moved there a year or two before. The family stuck close together and never let anyone in. Jessica acted peeved over that fact, and Bella wrote it off to the fact the other girl was declined when she confessed. Sour grapes and what not.

On her second day there, Edward disappeared, taking unsociable to another level. The others stayed though, so she had to assume it was only him that decided to play truant…not that she cared or anything. Still, after the way he treated her like she was lower than plankton on the food chart, she couldn't help but feel a little snubbed by his absence. She didn't even know why she bothered, or let herself be bothered by it, and yet, she couldn't stop those feelings. Who knows the whys and hows of emotions – she was sure even scientists didn't know everything like they think they did – but that was how she felt and if she saw him again, she was sure she would grab him, shake him, and maybe slap him. Why did she have this sort of violent reaction to him? She couldn't be sure. Again, she didn't understand the whys and hows people's reaction to each other, that's just the way it was.

It had been almost a week since she started school in Forks, and her nerves were shot. It almost felt like the walls were closing in on her. She needed out, but she was unable to leave. Her mother had remarried and she had moved here to give her mother and her new husband space. Space. Bella had so much of it, it was distracting.

Giving into the urge to get away, at least for a short period of time, she hopped in her truck and took off. Driving might help clear her head and make her feel less claustrophobic than she currently was. If only she didn't feel so much like an outcast. If only she didn't hate being here. If only she had a real friend, someone she could confined in. If only…

Driving around the empty roads helped to soothe her, but she still could not wait to get out of this one horse town. Granted there were smaller places, and she had even been to an Indian reservation in Arizona before, but she had never lived anywhere like that, and never planned to. Well…okay, so she had lived in Forks when she was an infant before her mother left her dad, however, she couldn't remember that period of time. She only remembered the times when she visited and how much she did not like Forks. Her body craved sun and…sun. What did she not get here? Sun, or if she did, it wasn't much. Even the air felt oppressive.

Her truck started to sputter and she pulled over to a park that appeared to be long forgotten and abandoned. The equipment was rusted and the forest appeared to be reclaiming the land. Great. Would her father be able to find her if she called him? Pulling out her cell phone, she had every intention of using it, but something caught her attention. The sound of a motor, not from the road, but overhead. It sounded close, almost too close. Looking up and around, she found a small plane with smoke billowing out of the motor in front. The propeller was not spinning, and if she noticed that, it was much too low to the ground.

Instead of calling her father, she dialed 911, and followed the plane, losing the operator when she ducked into the woods. Climbing over broken trees and jumping a small creek, she rushed to the sight of the crash, finding it easily by the bits and pieces scattered around the area. Inside, two people sat unconscious. She had to help them! The engine was still smoking and she thought she saw small flames. She couldn't possibly wait for rescue to find them, by that time it could be too late. She ran to the plane to pull the first person out, shocked to find someone she had not expected to see, "Edward Cullen?" She had no time for this. Pulling him out, she dragged him as far as she could and then returned to pull out the other man. His features caught her attention, he was good looking and seemed almost angelic…not that men appreciated that term, but there was no other word to describe him. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she tried to undo the seatbelt, but it would not budge. Her eyes scanned the area to see if she could find something to cut the material with and found some glass. Using it like a knife, the belt finally gave way and she was able to free the plane's final prisoner, pulling him to safety before the fire increase. There was an explosion and then everything went black.


	2. A Ghost?

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has already favored, read, reviewed, and followed this story! It will be a little different from my normal stories, and hopefully it will turn out well. I have it planned in my head, but that doesn't always transfer to paper.** **Also, I will be going to visit my older sister in Virginia for a few weeks. I'll still be writing, but it might get haphazard for a bit. Just wanted to let you know. Enjoy!**

 **PS... My novel is done and back from the proofreaders. After doing some minor corrections, I will be self-publishing this week! I'm beyond excited. As soon as I get it published, I will give you all of the information for those who would like to read it.**

Chapter 2 - A Ghost?

Her head throbbed, and the sound of the incessant beeping coming from somewhere over her shoulder annoyed her causing her head to radiate with a pulsating drum beat that made everything worse. _Beep. Boom. Beep. Boom._ It matched the rhythm of the machine, and she wanted nothing more than for someone to stop it. Was it getting louder? Groaning, she tried to turn and bury her head, but she couldn't move. It hurt too much. "Shh," someone tried to hush her and then… golden silence. Blissful peace.

Bella wasn't sure who helped her and she didn't care, because at that moment, the annoying beeping stopped and no other sound could be heard. She tried to mutter her thanks before slipping back into the darkness of sleep, but she wasn't sure if the audible words escaped in the physical realm, or if she only spoke inside her head.

When next she became aware of her surroundings, the beeping had been turned back on and there was someone moving inside her room. How much time had passed? What happened? She tried to remember, to think of why she might be injured, of where she was, but she couldn't remember. Figments flashed through her mind, however, she wasn't sure what they were. A plane, an angel, and Edward Cullen. Nothing made sense.

"Bella?" A voice called out to her softly.

Slowly she opened her eyes and then clamped them shut again, the blinding light too bright for her to bear. Another groan, and she tried to move her arm to cover her eyes, only to find she was unable to move it. She heard the sliding of metal against metal and the flip of a switch, and instantly the room was darker.

"Bella?" The same voice spoke softly, the tone full of concern for her.

Once again, she slowly opened her eyes and found the face of her father hovering over her, "Dad?" Her voice sounded more like a croak than a teen girl.

"Shh. It's all right, Bells. You got hurt when the plane exploded, but Dr. Cullen says it is only a broken arm and a concussion. He should be here soon to look you over. You had me worried there though when you wouldn't wake up," Charlie told her, trying to sound more confident than he felt. His little girl, who had only just returned to him and hadn't been with him very long, already found herself admitted to the hospital.

Plane? Explosion? Her memories filled with her afternoon adventure. She had been driving around and saw the plane go down. She went to help and found two men. She tried to help them and then… Did they both make it? What happened to them?

"Edward and the…the other one?" She almost said angel, but stopped herself in time.

"Edward Cullen is fine. He's pretty banged up, he'll be out of here in another few days."

"The other?" There was something in her dad's eyes, his voice. What was he not telling her? "Dad?"

"His name was Garrett, and he was a cousin of Edward's… I'm sorry, honey. He didn't make it. You got him out, but his injuries were too extensive. He died on the way here." It was news he had not wanted to share with her, and yet, he knew he could not keep it from her either.

Although she had not known the man, her heart broke and she felt a deep sadness at his loss. Why had he been the one to go? Garrett. Something about his name called to her and she did not know why. Maybe it was her own injuries, the drugs, or something else. She wasn't sure. She only knew hearing that he had died, caused her to mourn.

"Bells? You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I just…I never expected…"

Charlie rubbed the back of the hand he held and said, "I know, honey."

"When's the funeral?"

Scowling, he dropped his head and told her, "Bells, you've been out for almost a week. The Cullen's have already had the funeral."

"A week? How?" Panic threatened to bubble up inside her.

"When the plane exploded, some of the shrapnel went flying and forced a tree to fall. It landed on you. Do you remember anything?"

"The plane and trying to get them out and a loud boom," she answered, her head throbbing. She just wanted to close her eyes and for the pain to stop.

"I'll go see where the doc is. I'll be right back," Charlie whispered. It hurt to see his daughter in so much pain, and he hated feeling at a loss as to how to help her. He could see how much of a shock it was to hear that Garrett had not made it, but he also knew it would have been worse if he had kept it from her.

The sounds of rustling in her room drew Bella's attention. She had believed she was alone in the room, and therefore, there should not be the sounds of movement. Unless she had somehow lost only part of her hearing, but she doubted that was possible. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked towards the door and found no one, nothing. Her eyes carefully scanned the room and landed on a figure sitting near the window. Gasping, her eyes grew large, her pulse increased, and she wanted to run away. How could it be?

"You're awake," he grinned. "I've been coming here for the last couple of days, but you've been doing nothing but sleeping. How am I supposed to talk to you, if you can't talk?"

"You…You're supposed to be d-d-dead," she stammered.

"Do I look dead to you? Do I feel dead?" He walked up to her bed and touched her arm.

Pulling her arm away, even she had to admit that it felt real. Could her father have been wrong? Did the Cullen's bury someone else? "How?"

"First, let me introduce myself. I'm Garrett."

"Bella."

"I know. I have to say thank you for saving my cousin and me; although, that doesn't seem like enough."

"How?"

"How what?"

"How are you alive? My dad said…"

Holding up his hand, he stopped her before she could continue, "He must have gotten it wrong because here I am. I've even been to see my cousin, although, he was sleeping just like you."

Her eyes studied him. He didn't have a single scratch on him. His skin perfect and unmarred. She was about to ask him another question when her father returned with the doctor, "Dad!"

"You okay, Bells? You look like you've seen a ghost." He turned to the doctor and asked, "Is this normal?"

"Don't worry, Charlie. Let me examine her and order some tests and we'll see what's going on," Carlisle said calmly.

Without consideration for their own conversation, Bella asked, "I thought you said Garrett died, but he's standing right behind you."

Both men turned to look over their shoulders, but they found nothing and no one. Stepping closer to his patient, Carlisle asked, "Bella, do you see anything else?"

"Huh? What? What are you talking about?"

"Bella, Garrett passed away. He isn't in this room."

"What are you talking about? I'm standing right behind you!" Garrett yelled, but no one reacted except the patient. What the hell was going on?

Flinching at the anger in Garrett's voice, Bella said, "He's standing right behind you. He just yelled."

Carlisle's eyes met the concerned eyes of the patient's father, and he gave a small shake of his head, "What is he wearing?"

"A black t-shirt and jeans."

"What does he look like?"

"Long sandy hair that's in a ponytail. He's kind of scruffy and tall."

"Anything else?"

"Dark eyes and kind of thin."

Turning around, Charlie inspected the room, but still found no one else there. What was wrong with his daughter?

"Carlisle, I'm right behind you!" Garrett insisted.

"He's upset. He says he right behind you," Bella told the doctor.

Smiling, he said, "Let's give you a quick examination and then we'll talk some more."

"You…You don't believe me," her eyes narrowed and hurt laced her words. Did the doctor think she had completely lost it?

"I believe the mind is a powerful thing and sometimes we see things that others can't because we need to. Maybe there is a reason you can and we can't."

"So I'm imagining him?"

"You had a severe concussion and have been unconscious for six days. I think there's a lot we don't know about the brain and how it functions and that this could be nothing more than a coping mechanism." He started to examine her and after he was done, he pulled Charlie out into the hall, closing the door behind him.

"Doc, is my daughter going crazy?" The chief of police inquired.

Shaking his head, Carlisle tried to reassure him, "No, but as I said, her brain did sustain an injury and sometimes it can cause hallucinations. The figure she's describing, the clothes, those are what he was wearing the day of the plane crash. Auditory and ocular hallucinations are not completely uncommon with concussions, and with the severity of hers, it doesn't completely surprise me that she is having them. At the moment, I'm not going to treat them because they should decrease in frequency and go away on their own as her injury heals, however, if they don't or they become more frequent, we'll have to look at other options."

"It could be permanent?"

"Rarely the condition remains, but there have been cases when the hallucinations would not go away at all. In that case, meds used for schizophrenia have been prescribed in order to cope with the hallucinations. That does not mean she suddenly has the disease, however, like with some medications, they are used for a multitude of causes. Seizure meds can treat bipolar, migraines, and neuropathy. The same can be done with the meds for schizophrenia. They can be used to treat hallucinations caused by brain injury."

"Shit!" In frustration, Charlie ran a hand through his hair. Her mother had sent her north believing he would watch over their daughter and keep her safe, and now this. And seeing his daughter hurt and suffering was like a knife twisting in his gut.

"Charlie. I want to run a few tests on her and then we may have a few more answers, but don't let this discourage you. Talk to her and treat her normally. This should go away on its own. All right?"

"Yeah. All right." Returning to the room, he let Carlisle finish his work. He just wanted his daughter to be well again. Plastering on a smile, he said, "Hey Bells. Doc is just going to order some tests."

Her eyes shifted from Garrett to her father, "Does he think I'm crazy?"

"Nope. Not at all."

"What about what I'm seeing?"

"It could be the result of the injury. It'll be fine."

After her father and Carlisle had left the room, she had asked Garrett what he was doing there, and he couldn't answer. She asked what he remembered, and after the crash, he remembered nothing except visiting her and Edward's hospital rooms. There was a big blank hole and not even he could fill it. She could feel his touch, converse with him, and see him as clear as she could see her father; and yet, no one else could. Why? Before her father entered the room, she had asked, "Are you a ghost?" And once again, Garrett could not answer. It would make sense and explain so much, but then again, maybe this was all a bad joke, a dream, or maybe, she really was hallucinating the whole thing.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

Her body felt tired and her head hurt. She just wanted to go to sleep once again. Closing her eyes, she wearily asked, "What if he's haunting me because I couldn't save him."

Sighing, Charlie said, "Bella, there's no such things as ghosts." But she never heard him, for she had already fallen asleep.

Garrett watched the whole interaction, his mind reeling with the question she had asked him and now the one she asked her father. He couldn't be a ghost. He was as real as… Come to think of it, he couldn't even remember how he went from room to room. Why was it only Bella could see him? Not even his uncle had been able to see him or talk to him. Had he really died? If so, why was he here with her?


	3. Introductions

**A/N: Thank you everyone! Don't worry, this story won't be abandoned until I am actually finished. XD. I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I am looking at 10-15 chapters. So far, Bella tried to save two people and one died and is now a ghost she can see, but it doesn't appear that no one else can. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 3 – Introductions

When Bella awoke next a few hours later, her head was still hurting, but thankfully, it had stopped throbbing. The absence of the sledgehammer was a blessed relief. Moving her eyes around the room, she found that although she initially thought she was alone, she really wasn't. Garrett sat with his head in his hands in the chair which sat next to her bed. "Are you really here?" She hadn't meant to speak aloud, but when his head popped up suddenly, she realized that she had.

"How are you feeling? Do I need to call the nurse or something?" He questioned.

She furrowed her brow. Had the earlier conversation been a dream? He seemed real enough. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting, I guess you could say."

"Oh. Are you all right?"

He gave her a funny look and then snorted with a mirthless laugh, "I'm here."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault. Now how are you feeling?"

"My head hurts and everything seems a little fuzzy. You're Garrett…right?"

"Yep. I'm Edward's cousin."

"How is he?"

Laughing, he shook his head, "This conversation seems so normal, like we're trying to fill the void with noise. But to answer your question, he's alive and will be getting out of here and going home."

"That's great news…isn't it?"

"It is. I wish I could say the same for me."

She didn't want to think about the fact he was a ghost or a figment of her imagination. Pushing aside those thoughts, she continued as if he were real and there with her, "What happened?"

"You got hit in the head and got hurt trying to save us."

"I…I know that, but what happened to the plane? Why did you go down?"

His eyes dropped to his tightly clasped hands and he muttered, "I don't know. The engine made a little noise when we started to take off, but it passed quickly and then nothing. It was smooth sailing from Alaska to here, and then when we got closer to Forks, more noise. We wound up losing the engine and went down. I had already taken control of the plane from Edward and tried to make it to an empty field I had seen, but we didn't make it. I'm not exactly sure what happened. The next thing I can remember is riding in the ambulance with Edward to the hospital and then going back and forth visiting both of you."

"What about your injuries?"

Another funny look, "I don't have any. They're gone."

"How?"

"I don't know. Look, I don't understand any of this!" His voice sounded agitated and he knew he was taking his frustrations out on her, but he was unable to stop himself from doing so. She was the only one able to see him for some reason, and therefore his only connection to anyone and everyone. He could still touch things, make them move, and do anything he did before…it's just that no one else knew he was there. It was more than just a little disconcerting and a lot annoying.

"I'm sorry."

Garrett released a loud and long breath, running a hand through his hair, "No, I'm sorry. I just wish things were different."

"I know the feeling well."

His eyes studied her closely. Her comment made her sound like a wounded animal, someone whose heart had been damaged and she was still licking her wounds. "You do?" He was curious if she knew what she was saying. If this was about some high school, teenage crush, he was liable to smack her.

"Yeah." She wasn't sure why, but she found herself opening up to him, "Don't get me wrong. I wasn't abused or unloved, but it wasn't the most conventional of environments to grow up in. My mom left my dad and divorced him, taking me with her. I would come up occasionally to visit, but I kind of rebelled and hated leaving my friends to visit him, so I dug in my heels and threw a tantrum and said if he wanted to see me, he had to come to me. I remember when I would come up here, he would go off and work and I would be left with his friend Billy or had a babysitter. It wasn't ever really fun for me. The only person I played with my age was Jacob Black, Billy's son. It got kind of repetitious."

"So you decided if you had to visit your dad, you would force him to come to you."

"Yeah. I guess it was kind of bratty of me. I wound up seeing him even less. I guess I also blamed him. I had heard over and over again how unhappy my mom was with him and how she had to leave him, and how she couldn't stay here and live in a dreary place without sunshine. I thought it was his fault for making her sad. Then on top of that my mom was kind of all over the place and I had to become an adult when I was still a kid. I made sure the bills were paid. I made sure she knew where to be and when. I cooked the meals, cleaned the house, and took care of almost everything. The only thing I didn't do was to work to make the money…and even then my mom was a little spotty. If it wasn't for my dad's child support, there were many times we wouldn't have been able to eat or have a roof over our head. I know she loved me – just like I'm sure my dad always loved me – I just resented everything I dealt with at the time. I always wished my mom was more responsible. I wished my dad hadn't driven my mom away. I wished I could have been a kid when I was a kid. I wished things had been easier for me…for my family, but it wasn't. So, I do understand what you mean."

"If you mom is somewhere with sunshine, she isn't here. What are you doing here if you never wanted to come up here to visit?" Listening to her, he was a little shocked. It had not been what he was expecting, and it sure as hell wasn't the teenage angst he had been expecting to endure hearing.

"Hmm. No, she's travelling with my new stepfather."

"That sounds like a story," he remarked offhandedly.

Shrugging, Bella stated, "She met a guy she liked and he is a good guy. They got married recently and since he is a minor league player, instead of making her stay with me, I chose to move in with my dad so she could travel with him. It wouldn't be fair to force her to stay with me right after she got married."

"As a parent and a person who chose to have a child, isn't it unfair to your daughter to abandon her when she needs you?" Garrett retorted.

"This made her happy."

"So you decided to put aside your own wants and needs for her, and now your unhappy?"

"I chose to do that, but I wouldn't say I'm unhappy. I just feel like I don't belong here. That there is something more for me out there, but I don't know what it is."

"I can understand that one. I have been wandering around and going from place to place in search of something…and I don't even know what the fuck it is," he started seriously, but ended on chuckle.

She started to grin, "Yes! You have this need and you don't know what it really is."

"That's it exactly!"

"I can't remember the last time I was able to talk to someone like this."

"Didn't you have any friends in…Where are you from?"

Her grin grew, "Phoenix, Arizona."

"Really? You must be missing the sun."

"A bit."

"Soooo… Didn't you have any friends in Phoenix?"

"A couple, but none that I was really close with. I haven't talked to any of them since I moved."

"So a dysfunctional family, not a lot of friends, and now you're living in a strange place while playing rescuer."

She laughed, "Something like that." Wincing, Bella grabbed her head.

"Close your eyes and I'll call the nurse to give you some pain meds," Garrett spoke softly as he pressed the call button. "When you wake up, you'll feel better and everything will seem like a dream."

Her eyes drifted shut and soon she heard the nurse enter. Within minutes of that visit, she was slipping into slumber hoping her new friend would be there when she woke up again.


	4. Dreams

**A/N: Sorry for disappearing. I stayed in Virginia a little longer than originally planned and have been playing catch up since I got back. I think I am finally back on my normal updating schedule though. For the story, it will start out as human AU and then…we'll see. Enjoy!**

 **PS…** **For those interested, I have finally published my book Another Chance and it is available in a softback or e-book on Amazon (although, I have been told you should be able to order the book from major book sellers in 6-8 weeks). Another Chance by Maria Vickers. Thank you everyone!**

 **Chapter 4 – Dreams**

Dreams. That was the word that continued to echo in her mind after she closed her eyes and succumbed to the drug induced slumber. This was so much better than the pain her head kept suffering when she opened her eyes.

She felt like she was floating, her body weightless, as if she was living in a dream. Everything was a dream. When she woke up, Bella was convinced everything would be back to normal…maybe she wouldn't even be in the hospital. Everything a bad dream and something her imagination had cooked up for her. It was all a dream, nothing was real; and yet, when she next opened her eyes, she almost expected…no, she had actually hoped, to find Garrett still sitting next to her bed, but he had disappeared. There was no sign of him anywhere in the room. Maybe it really had been all a dream, him nothing more than a figment of her imagination; and yet, her very real disappointment practically engulfed her.

Her eyes scanned the room again looking for any sign of him. Nothing. Not even a piece of lint seemed out of place. Instinctively, she reached up and rubbed her forehead with one hand trying to sort out her emotions and thoughts, wondering if she was indeed losing her mind. Had Garrett been no more than her mind playing tricks on her? That had to be it because as her father had already said in her dream (or was that part real?), ghosts did not actually exist.

Still, as her eyes could not find the person they searched for, she felt somewhat bereft. Why? She should be happy that she wasn't seeing things any longer; and yet, she found herself unconsciously looking for the man she had first seen unconscious in the downed plane. Part of her wanted to believe he had made it or was really there supernaturally, but alas she knew that could not be. It didn't make sense. It wasn't logical.

Two days had passed and still no Garrett, forcing her to convince herself that it was all her imagination. When she had awoken and originally found him missing, she asked her father about him and heard the same news she received before: Garrett passed away and had already been buried.

The tests the doctor ran came back normal. Her head was perfectly fine…other than her concussion, and then he reminded her that sometimes a head injury could make a person see and hear things that weren't really there. Ergo, Garrett was never there in the first place.

Still attempting to wrap her mind around everything, Bella sat in her hospital bed, the TV on more for noise than anything. Something didn't feel right, but she would not allow herself to dwell on it any longer. It was time to move forward and to forget about Garrett and everything that happened. Easier said than done, but she would do it. She could do anything she put her mind to, and therefore, when her father pushed a wheelchair containing a familiar looking teen into her room, she smiled and welcomed the intrusion with a small smile, "Hey, Edward. How are you feeling?"

"Good, thanks to you," he answered with a grin. Itching to get out of bed, the moment Charlie had entered his room to visit him, he pounced on the opportunity before him. What better reason to get out of bed and his room than to visit the person who had rescued him and become his guardian angel?

Those words to her were like a knife to her heart. She had saved one and failed the other. Her eyes fell to her lap and she muttered, "I'm sorry to hear about your cousin. I wish I could have…"

"Hey. It wasn't your fault. We lost the engine and started to go down. You did what you could. No matter what you did, he had too many injuries from the crash and wouldn't have survived. Carlisle… I mean my father, told me that there was no way Garrett would have survived even if help arrived earlier."

Bella saw how hard it was for him to talk about, could hear the catch in his voice, and she wanted to cry. Not only did she feel bad for the Cullen family, but she also felt her own loss. For some reason just looking upon his visage had created a connection with him and she couldn't understand it. Her mother would probably say they had met in a past life and found each other again. Maybe it was romantic and maybe not, but there was probably some unfinished business between the two of them. Renee was sometimes a little out there; however, Bella still loved her because she was her best friend and mother.

Clearing her throat, she decided it was probably best for both of them if she changed the subject. Although she still felt uncomfortable around him, she asked, "Sooo…when do you get to blow this joint?"

"Tomorrow. Apparently my head is harder than even my dad originally believed."

She politely laughed at his joke, and then responded, "I'm glad."

"What about you?"

Her eyes darted towards her father to see if he knew anything. Last she had heard, her release date was still up in the air thanks to her head injury and her overactive imagination. Maybe they would finally let her out of the pokey now that her hallucinations had stopped. Two days without seeing anything odd had to count for something.

Smiling, Charlie knew what his daughter was silently asking, "She's gets to go home tomorrow as well."

"Really?" Bella inquired quickly.

"Yep. I just talked to Dr. Cullen and since everything seems normal, you'll get to go home with the condition that you take it easy for a while and it'll be at least a week or two before you can go back to school."

Edward chimed in, "It looks like we both got our walking papers."

"Lucky us," she commented and gave him a half smile. Yes, lucky them, and not so lucky for others. Chastising herself for her train of thought, she asked, "Are you going back to school immediately?"

"No, my dad told me to wait at least a week. If I can, I'll come and visit you."

"That'd be nice." She kind of meant it, but not really. She felt guilty and out of sorts around him. Seeing him just reminded her of Garrett, and thinking of Garrett made her wish more and more he really was a ghost and there with her. In her dream, she had felt so comfortable around him, able to share anything and everything. Never before had she felt that with anyone else in her life. Yes, her mother was her best friend, but Bella could never spill everything to Renee. She wondered though, would she be able to confide in the real Garrett just as much as she had the dream Garrett? The first answer that popped into her head was a resounding YES.

Another intruder waltzed into the room, and Carlisle's first words were, "I wondered where you went. Esme was looking for you."

"She is? I thought she wasn't coming back today," Edward appeared a bit sheepish.

"Well, apparently she changed her mind. Charlie, would you mind wheeling him back to his room so that his mother can see for herself that he's all right?"

"Will do," Charlie answered and started pushing the mobile patient towards the door.

As soon as the two had left, Bella cleared her throat, "My dad said I can go home tomorrow."

"That's correct," the doctor answered and shined a light in her eyes to begin his examination.

The air felt heavy between them. "Dr. Cullen, I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for Garrett."

His features softened, "That wasn't your fault." He paused and smiled down at her, "Now, how are you feeling?"

"Fine I guess. My head still hurts, but it's nothing like it was."

"Hearing anything out of the ordinary? What about seeing anything?"

"If you're asking about Garrett, I haven't seen anything even remotely looking like him for a couple of days." She studied him for a moment, narrowing her eyes. It seemed as if he wanted to say something, to tell her something, but she couldn't fathom what it would be. "Is there something wrong?"

Shaking his head, he told her, "No, nothing." It was almost as if she could read his mind. How was he supposed to tell her that weird things have been happening at home? He would place his coffee mug down in one spot and when he went to go pick it up again, it had moved to the other side of the table. His wife chalked it up to stress from work and losing Garrett, and maybe she was right, but sometimes he could almost swear things were moving on their own, and it was more than his coffee mug: his stethoscope was missing out of his office and he found it in the kitchen, his book was placed back on the shelf when he could have sworn it was on his desk, and his alarm clock woke him up an hour earlier than he had set it for. All of these disturbances at home began two days ago.

Bella could tell he was holding back, but she wasn't about to accuse the doctor of lying.

"Well, everything seems good here, and tomorrow you'll get to sleep in your own bed." He patted her hand and left her alone. No, Esme was probably right. He was probably just stressed and didn't remember where he left everything.

Lying back, her head was engulfed by the pillows and she sighed. Good news, she was going home; bad news, Garrett wasn't real and she still wanted him to be.

The next day, true to his word, Carlisle signed her discharge papers and she had been allowed to leave the hospital. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had walked through the entrance of her father's house, and unlike any time before, it felt good to be there. The hospital walls had started to close in on her and she had been itching to get out.

It felt like she was moving through time with the world passing her by at times. Her head was on the way to healing, but she felt off kilter…more so than she did before. It was like the whole crash had knocked her out of normal stream of life and put her on a different path, but that couldn't be true. She was still there, still moving and breathing, and still living.

After settling his daughter in, Charlie popped his head into her room and found her lying back staring out her window and rubbed the back of his neck, "Hey Bells. I…uh…I need to go into the station for a couple of hours. You gonna be okay?"

She plastered on a smile for her father, "Yeah, dad. Go ahead. I'll be fine. I'll probably just lie down and rest."

"Okay. I'll go ahead and pick up some dinner on the way home for us. I don't want you cooking. Got it."

"Sure." Honestly, she didn't feel like doing much of anything, and after he was gone, she walked downstairs and looked around. Everything looked normal, just as it had before she had landed herself in the hospital. When she was a kid, she had thought this place boring, dreary, and confining. Now that she was older, it was still a little boring, definitely dreary considering the sun hardly shined there, and it had become somewhat of a prison. She had chosen this for herself, had chosen to give her newly wedded mom some space, and at this very moment, she wished she could take it all back. Maybe then she wouldn't feel like she did. She would have never seen Garrett and would not be feeling his loss. "I wish you were here, Garrett."

"Then why don't you turn around?" A voice called out from behind her.

Whipping around, Bella's eyes widened, her mouth gaped open, and she promptly fainted. She would have hit her head again had Garrett not caught her in time.

"Well, that wasn't exactly the greeting I was expecting," Garrett quipped as he gently laid her on the floor, chuckling to himself as he did so. She never quite had the reaction he expected of her, and this was no exception.


	5. More Questions Than Answers

**A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying this last bit of summer! For those who have started school or are about to start, good luck in the upcoming year! The next chapter will be longer and will provide some answers, as well as bringing Edward into the whole convoluted mess. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5 – More Questions than Answers

Her head felt like it was floating on a soft cloud, and then she realized that couldn't possibly be right. Slowly Bella started to open her eyes and found her head cradled in Garrett's lap. Was she dreaming? If she was, she didn't want to wake up. Lifting her hand, she poked his cheek with her fingertip and then jumped, "You're real!" She scampered away, scooting across the floor on her butt until she hit a wall.

"In a manner of speaking," Garrett responded slowly. Again, this wasn't the reaction he had been expecting, but at least she seemed to be all right, but he still had to check, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

She brushed his hand away and grumbled, "Two, and the only thing I'm seeing that's not there is you!"

"Honey, I'm real…it's just that you're the only one that can see me."

Her eyes narrowed, "Let's say that I believe you are really here, I thought ghosts were supposed to be transparent and feel like air. You're solid."

"I don't know. I've never been a ghost before. How 'bout you? Been around a lot of ghosts or been one yourself?"

"If I'm still alive, what makes you think I've ever been a ghost? And no, you're the first I've ever met."

"So you really can't claim to be an expert, can you?"

"True, but…"

"But what?"

"All the shows on TV…"

His laughter rang out, echoing throughout the small house, "I think we all know that Hollywood tends to over embellish most of the time."

She wasn't sure why, but Bella found this funny and joined in his laughter. Her irritation and fear melting away into nothingness, "I guess you're probably right." She sat there and stared at him for a moment before she quietly admitted, "I missed you."

A small smile plastered itself to his lips, "I missed you too."

"Where did you go?"

"Home. I hitched a ride with Carlisle and tried to see if my family would be able to communicate with me like you could. I think I freaked my uncle out when I started messing with his stuff, but no one seemed to be able to actually see me."

"So you came here?"

"Well, I didn't know what else to do. I heard my dad say that you and Edward were both betting out today, so I wandered around looking for your house. It took a while before I realized I had no clue where the chief of police lived and then had to hunt around for the address. Once I had a phone book, it was easy, but do you know how hard it is to find a phonebook when there are zero pay phones. Calling the operator didn't work because she couldn't hear me…" The sound of snickering stopped him, "What?"

"Can't ghosts just float from place to place?" The twinkle in her eye, the way she pressed her lips together, were all signs she was about to laugh hysterically.

"I DON'T KNOW! I'm new to this whole ghost thing!"

"I see. So, did you really try to call the operator?"

"I know it sounds stupid, but I had to try something. I think I freaked someone out in the diner when the house phone started moving on its own. One of the waitresses fainted when I pulled out the phone book I found after hanging up. Don't worry, I closed it before they could see what I was looking for."

She couldn't stop laughing, "So you found the address in the phone book and came here."

"Yes. That's about it."

"Small town like this, they are going to be talking about the haunted diner for a long time to come. I can just picture it now…a séance or calling in the Ghost Hunters to try and figure out who might be haunting them all of the sudden. Hey! Maybe they will do both!"

"You're not funny."

"I think I am," she teased.

He had been squatting down near here, afraid of getting too close and freaking her out, and moved to take a seat on the floor in front of her. It was time to get serious, "Why is it you're the only one that can see me? It sure as hell isn't your winning personality."

"Ouch. I thought gentlemen weren't supposed to insult ladies," she simpered.

"I never claimed to be a gentleman and I didn't realize you were a lady," he retorted, a smile ruining the insult.

Holding up her hands in surrender, Bella said, "I got it. I got it." Her face adopted a serious expression as she thought about the current situation, "I really don't know why I can see you and others can't. Maybe, you're supposed to help me with something, or maybe I'm supposed to help you with any unfinished business."

"Why you though? If it was unfinished business, of which I have zero, wouldn't one of my family members be better suited for the job."

She bit her lip and considered what he said before responding, "True. So if it is for me…why?"

"You said it yourself, you're not exactly happy living here with him. Your life has gone through a drastic change.

"You make it sound as if I hate my father."

"I didn't say that. I think you love him because he is your dad, but change is never easy. You have lived with hearing about how horrible it was up here and eventually decided it was horrible yourself. Your mom just got remarried and you felt guilty keeping her from her new husband and moved here. Do you hate your stepfather?"

"I don't hate him. They are just…"

When she stopped and did not continue, he supplied, "Newlyweds who really only think of themselves?"

Sighing, she told him, "It shouldn't have surprised me. My mom was always kind of flighty and stuff."

"You're also young, so it doesn't mean you won't hold at least a little resentment towards them…and maybe your dad."

"If only my dad…" She paused again and her eyes widened.

Garrett wasn't sure what was going through her mind and prodded, "Only what?"

"Maybe you are here to help me!"

"How and why?"

"There was one point when my dad considered moving south and going after my mom."

He interrupted her, "It's too late for that."

"Maybe for my mom, but not to move. Then we can all be closer, he can find someone new, and everyone will be happy."

"Will he?" To him, she sounded like a selfish teenager, completely opposite of how she has acted until this point. "You might be happier, but what about him?" As the silence dragged on and she didn't answer, he asked, "Do you resent your dad for what happened?"

"NO! Of course not," was her quick answer, but then she thought about it. Did she? "Probably not."

Even to his ears, her answered sounded less than confident. "Really?"

"I guess…I mean…I just think if he noticed the person he supposedly loved was unhappy, why didn't he do anything about it?"

"How do you know he didn't?"

"Hello? My mom left with me and he didn't come after her."

"My point is, you only really know her side of the story. There are always two sides to every coin."

Her eyes once again narrowed on him and she used the wall as leverage to get to her feet, "I know. My head's hurting. I'm going up to lay down." She started up the stairs, but stopped about halfway up, "Will you be here later?"

"Considering you're the only one that can see me, yeah, I'll be around."

Her head was spinning. Why did she have the reaction she did just now? Why couldn't Garrett see things from her perspective? Why was he defending her father's actions…or lack thereof? She wasn't sure. She wasn't even aware she held such bitter resentment for what happened in the past. Didn't her father also though? He had never moved on from her mother and still lived the single life. Since Renee left him, he had not been on a single date…and he had plenty of chances given the fact Bella had lived with her mother up until recently.

Downstairs Garrett roamed around the living space roaming from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen and back to the living room. It wasn't big, but it had a nice space, and it felt lived in, like a home. Scattered throughout the space, Charlie had pictures of his daughter hanging on the walls or on the fireplace mantle. There was also one picture of Charlie and a woman in a white dress, and Garrett assumed that was a picture from the day Charlie and Renee spoke their vows.

It wasn't hard to understand why Bella would carry a small level of hostility for her father, but for it to turn her suddenly uncompromising, as if her idea were the only one, Garrett had to wonder what exactly was going on inside of her. She had confided in him during her stay at the hospital, and he understood that she wasn't like most teenagers; however, today he was rethinking his first assessment. Today, she was acting just like a selfish teenager who believed the world revolved around her. Why? What was the real story? He knew he didn't have the entire story, only a small piece, and the answers he needed may lie in what had so far been unspoken.

He had other questions as well. Was he really sent there to help her? What if it was so she could help him? Why though? Maybe it was a little be of both? He didn't know. There was just something about her. For all he knew though, she was the one that could see him because she had been the one to pull him from the plane wreckage.

Garrett stopped in his wanderings and looked upwards. She was right above him in her room. He could even hear her moving about upstairs. Why her? Why did it have to be her? Punishment? Reward? She looked so much like someone from his past. Back then he wasn't sure how to help Rachel, and he felt just as lost today as he did then. "God, why am I here?" His hand raked its way through his hair, and sighed heavily. Maybe his question was rhetorical, but on the other hand, he needed guidance from somewhere and he sure as hell wasn't getting it from Bella – not that he blamed her because she was as clueless as he was.

As Bella settled herself on her bed, she waited for her medicine to take effect, and she thought about everything. Why did this guy have to be haunting her of all people? Of course, if she went by what her father said, Garrett was just a figment of her imagination, but he seemed so real – and she wanted him to be real. She wanted to be able to connect with someone like she had never been able to before. She wanted someone to understand here the way her previous friends and her parents had never done. Maybe that's why he was there, but if that's true, then once he passed on, wouldn't that just be leaving her alone again? Together they had to figure out why he was there because the longer he stayed, she was afraid she would get more and more attached to him. She could already see the impact he had on her life after just a couple of days. Longer would make it more difficult to let go…just thinking about it already caused her heart pain. No, the sooner they figured out his mission in death, the better for everyone involved…and she had a feeling, she was about to lay all her secrets onto the table and bare her soul.


	6. Don't Leave

**A/N: Sorry everyone. I got a case of writer's block and couldn't seem to write anything for this. I was struggling with my other stories as well. Here is the updated chapter. I hope you like it. After this chapter, the speed of the story will increase. Enjoy!**

 **PS…** **My Twilight FF Meetings, Memories, and Destiny was nominated for top ten finished Twilight FF of August. If you would like to vote for me, I would greatly appreciate it. The link is www dot twifanfictionrecs dot com. You can vote once a day per device. THANK YOU!**

Chapter 6 – Don't Leave

The medicine had kicked in and Bella could feel herself getting drowsier by the second, but for some reason sleep would not come. Her eyes would fall shut, only for them to pop open halfway once again. She was tired from the medicine, from talking to Garrett, and from this whole situation, but still, she could not slip into that black obsidian of slumber. It wasn't fair!

And what made everything infinitely worse – in her eyes at least – all she could think about was Garrett, his possible reasons for being there to haunt her, and their earlier conversation…although fight might be a better word for it. She knew she hadn't heard her father's side of the story and only knew her mothers, but Bella could remember being seven and upset with her father over something, and when she was screaming at him, she yelled, "You're selfish. You didn't want me or mommy and that's why you didn't come for us!" Charlie never said anything in defense. Of course looking back on it now, what did one say to an upset seven year old when she's screaming and throwing a temper tantrum? Through the years, he has had ample opportunity to defend himself, to give his version of events, and he always remained silent; and she had always accepted that as an admission of his guilt. What if she had been wrong?

This was all Garrett's fault. These types of thoughts never plagued her before him. She never thought about the "what ifs" or "maybes", but now, they circled her mind like vultures circling a carcass. What was Charlie's side of the story? Was her mom just a bitter woman who resented her ex? Why hadn't her father dated again after her mother? Had she been wrong to pass judgement and punishment on him? Before moving up to Forks, it had been years since she had been there because she had thrown a fit and refused to travel north…and now she lived here in a house where the father/daughter relationship was awkward and strained.

Originally, she had been biding her time until she could graduate high school and then head south for college. Living in the dorms in a sunny state like Arizona, she wouldn't have to worry about stepping on anyone's toes and she would be free to live her own life without having to worry about her parents, and for once, it would be about her, her wants and needs. The ideal situation for everyone…if she could survive acting like two strangers living under the same roof for an extended period of time. That's what it felt like, two strangers occupying the same space. Practice for dorm life?

Flipping to her other side, Bella stared at the door and tried to imagine what Garrett was doing downstairs. It was quiet, but that didn't mean anything. The way she saw it, she doubted a ghost could make much of a ruckus. Then again, this particular ghost had already turned her life off kilter.

Although sleep would not come, she lay in her bed, not getting out until her father had returned and called out to her for dinner. She didn't have much of an appetite, however, she had the feeling that if she didn't eat, Charlie would probably worry even more about her; and the last thing she wanted was his concern or for him to decide to call the doctor again. Therefore, she forced herself out of bed and slowly made her way down the stairs. The medicine had made her groggy and the last thing she needed was to fall down the stairs and reinjure herself.

"Hey dad," she spoke softly when she entered the kitchen, her eyes scanning back and forth looking for a particular ghost; and then feeling disappointment when she didn't find him.

"Are you hungry, Bells? I wasn't sure what you were up to eating, so I just grabbed a little of everything: chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, corn, French fries, and some dinner rolls," Charlie nervously pointed out everything he had picked out for dinner. He loved having his daughter with him, but sometimes – most of the time – he felt like he had to walk on egg shells. He had known her her whole life, and yet, knew next to nothing about her. Add to that the fact he knew she harbored some ill feelings towards him for the divorce, and he didn't know how to act or what to say half the time.

Her eyes continued to dart back and forth as she covertly searched for her pest, but he was nowhere to be found. It felt as if her heart was sinking and anxiety started to set in when she could not find him. Had he disappeared after their small disagreement?

"What are you looking for?" Charlie inquired noticing how her eyes moved from place to place as if she was searching for something or someone. With her hallucinations still fresh in his mind, he had to admit he was worried that her head was still not right.

"Nothing!" She rushed, and after she had said it, she realized how guilty she sounded. "Just a book I put down and can't remember where I set it."

"Oh, well, we can always look for it after you eat."

"Yeah. It's not a big deal. It was just bothering me." If only it were just a book and not a whole person whom no one could see except her. Why did even thinking that make her sound like she was ready for a padded room?

Where was Garrett? After she and her dad had finished eating, something that had been done in utter silence with the void only broken by the sound of chewing, she had gotten up from the table and started looking for him, pretending she was looking for her book. And still she had not found him. Had he accomplished the unknown mission? Had he already left her? Just the idea that he might already be gone turned her stomach. She wanted him there, and maybe in a way, she needed him there with her.

"Did you find it?" Charlie questioned his daughter when she was starting to make her fourth pass in the living room.

"It?" Asked Bella, momentarily confused.

"The book. Weren't you looking for a book you misplaced?"

"Right! No, not yet. If you find it, let me know."

He didn't believe she was actually looking for a book, but for now he would placate her, "I will." Of course when she went out into the backyard and started whispering, "Where are you?" Charlie wondered if he should call the doctor instead of allowing her to continue acting like this, but he would let her be for now; however, if it continued, he would be calling the good doctor.

Bella had been unable to find Garrett in the house or out in the backyard. Maybe he really had gone to heaven or wherever it was he was going, and that filled her with melancholy. On her way up to her room to pout, the house phone rang and she answered it, "Hello?"

"Bella? Hi, this is Edward Cullen. I was calling to check on you." He had been wondering if he should wait a couple of days to call, but he had been anxious to hear her voice and gave into temptation.

"Oh, hey. What's going on?"

"I'm just sitting here at home, grateful that I'm out of the hospital."

"Yeah, me too."

"I was calling to see if you had plans the day after tomorrow."

Shaking her head, she realized he couldn't see her and said, "Not that I can think of."

"Would you like to get together and maybe grab some dinner or lunch?"

"I don't…I don't know."

"I know you are still trying to deal with everyting and so are we, I just thought it might be easier together than alone."

When he put it that way, it was hard to turn him down, "Okay. How about lunch?" It seemed like less of a date if they went out earlier in the day.

"Lunch works. If you want, I can have my dad drop me off at your house, or you can come over here. My dad isn't allowing me behind the wheel of a car right now, so we are going to have to be driven around. Is that okay?"

Okay? Actually, it suited her just fine. She wasn't sure what it was, but she got the feeling that he may be attracted to her, and she couldn't say she felt the same way or returned even an inkling of his feelings...if he did indeed like her. Besides, if he was attracted to her, she was probably sure it had more to do with appreciation than actual romantic feelings. Ergo, for her, the more people there, the less pressure and the less date-like everything felt, "Yeah, that's no problem. I can have my dad drive me out to your place if that would be easier."

"That sounds fine. I'll let my mom and dad know."

"Okay then. I'll let my dad know too." What was wrong with her? Edward Cullen was good looking and most of the girls at school craved his attention, but not her. She wanted the attention of another Cullen family member, and the worst part was, Garrett was no longer human. Hanging up the phone, she told her father the plan and noticed he seemed almost relieved. Why?

Smiling, Charlie told her, "I don't have a problem dropping you off. Just call me when you want to come home."

"I thought maybe I could drive myself."

"No. The doc said you're not allowed to drive for a week."

"But dad."

"Considering you're going over to the doctor's house, how would it look if I let you drive there? Plus it's too dangerous. I'll drive you."

"Fine, but you can pick me up after a couple of hours. I don't plan on staying all day."

"You two could keep each other company."

"You know, most fathers wouldn't pressure their daughters to date."

"Who's doing that?"

"You sound like you are."

Sighing, Charlie ran a hand through his hair and explained, "I just think that both of you have been through something traumatic and maybe you can help each other."

"Maybe."

"Bells, if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

"I know. I just feel awkward when I'm around him."

"He doesn't blame you for what happened. None of them do. In fact, there are grateful to you for trying to save Garrett and for pulling Edward to safety."

There it was again. It was understandable that most people would misunderstand her feelings, and while she did feel guilty that she could not save Garrett, she had come to terms with the fact it wasn't her fault he died. As hard as it was to accept, she knew his injuries had been extensive and there was nothing she nor anyone else could have done. Then again, maybe her lack of ability to save him was the very reason he was haunting her now. Was it wrong to wish he would never leave her side? And then thinking about Garrett naturally led to thoughts of their earlier debate, which led to the small push of her conscience to ask her father his version of the story about the divorce and separation, but she kept quiet not wanting to upset the peace, and not knowing if she was ready to hear his tale. "I know," was all she said before she went upstairs to her room, softly shutting the door behind her.

She almost screamed when she turned around and found a body lying on her bed reading a book while holding a stuffed animal her father had won her at a carnival when she was four. "Garrett!" Bella chastised softly not wanting her father to overhear her, knowing if he did, he would think her nuttier than a fruitcake.

"Bella!" His snide joking reply matched her tone.

"What are you doing up here?" She had searched everywhere for him and had found no trace of him, and now she comes upstairs only to find him lounging on her bed and reading as if he had not a care in the world…which come to think of it, he didn't since he was dead.

Shutting the book slightly, he looked at the cover before opening it again, "I believe this is called a book and I'm reading it. That's what you do with books, isn't it?"

The urge to slap him was great, but she held back, "I meant, what are you doing up here? I couldn't find you and I…" Her voice trailed off. She was all too well aware that she was carrying her emotions on her sleeve and he could probably guess what she was feeling, could see exactly what her fears were...she was laid bare.

Gently he closed the book and set it on the nightstand next to the bed before swinging his legs off of the bed. Before she could protest, he reached for her and pulled her towards him, settling her on his lap and wrapping his arms around her, he said, "I'm not going anywhere, and that means until we figure this whole thing out, you're stuck with me. I just thought that you might not want to see me right now and I didn't want to make your dad freak out, so I came upstairs while you were eating." This was the first time in his life he could ever remember wanting to soothe a girl's insecurities and fears. Before, they were always there just to hang out or have fun with, nothing serious. Bella was different, and part of him wanted to delay his unknown mission in order to stay with her longer.

"Sorry, I think I'm just…I still…my head hurts," she tried to make excuses, unable to come up with anything.

"I know. Let's lie down and rest. I promise to be here when you wake up." He fell backwards with Bella still cradled in his arms, and when they were situated with her head resting on his chest, he rubbed her back and hummed to her in an attempt to woo her to sleep. Within minutes her breathing had settled into the steady rhythm of slumber and Garrett smiled. Something felt so right holding her body close to his. He never wanted to let go.


	7. Sharing Secrets

**A/N: Thank you everyone! Normally I am a bit better about updating than I have been lately, but things happened over the course of the past month, and I lost a good friend, who encouraged my writing, last week from cancer. I promise to try and get better about updating from here on out, however, it may be a bit hectic now through the end of the year. I have not abandoned anything though, so please be patient with me. I do apologize for the sporadic updating and promise to update as much as possible. Thank you. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 7 – Sharing Secrets

Bella felt like a ball of uncertainty and unease was growing in her stomach as her father drove her towards the Cullen home. It was more than just the small amount of trepidation about seeing Edward and his possible feelings, but once she had told Garrett that she would be coming for a visit, he had come up with a brilliant plan – brilliant only in his eyes – to let his family know he was there, or at least Edward and Carlisle. She was apprehensive at best and was pretty sure after this visit, the good doctor would be finding her a nice padded room instead of giving his thanks.

Of course, there was always the possibility that it might not be as bad as she thought it would be. There was the very real possibility that Garrett's family would appreciate knowing their loved one was still around. After her grandmother passed away, Bella had wished on more than one occasion to have just one more day with her, to be able to have one last conversation, and to tell her she loved her one more time. Most people would wish for that, wouldn't they?

However, the closer they got to their destination, the more uneasy Bella felt. It wasn't only the fact that she and Garrett would soon be sharing their secret, but it was also Edward. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation and she saw something that wasn't really there…and yet, she didn't think she was. Normally it took quite a lot before she recognized the signs of interest, and most of the time one of her friends had to point it out before she saw it for herself. With the discovery of his attraction – regardless if the cause was gratitude or something else – it made being around him slightly awkward and uncomfortable, which was made more so by the fact she was developing feelings for Edward's dead cousin who was currently a ghost whom could only be seen by her. Yeah, this sounded like a Lifetime movie in the making.

"Bells, if you aren't up to the visit, I can always take you home," Charlie told her as he caught a brief glimpse of her too pale face.

She had almost forgotten that her father was there in the car with her and jumped slightly. Giving him a forced smile, she said, "I'm fine dad. My head just hurts a little."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Both her father and Garrett, who had snuck into the backseat, asked concernedly.

Stopping herself before she turned around and spoke directly to the apparition, she instead kept her eyes forward and answered, "Yeah, I'll be fine and Dr. Cullen will be there, so if things get really bad, there will be a doctor in house."

"Maybe I should just take you home," Charlie mumbled.

"Dad, don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Like you said, it'll be good to get out of the house and we can help each other through this whole ordeal."

He had never actually seen her look so white before. Granted she had always had fair skin, but right now she looked almost ashen. "You could always come another day," argued the police chief.

"No, I'll be fine. It's going to be like ripping off a Band-Aid, if you hesitate, it will be harder."

"I think you mean it'll hurt worse, but I get it. I'll pick you up in two hours, but if you need to be picked up sooner or if you start to feel sick, call me. I'll be at the station."

"I will," she turned to look at the driver, but her eyes continued to the backseat. Did she really look that bad? Even Garrett gazed at her with worried eyes, and there was nothing she could do to soothe his concern. "Trust me. It'll be fine and if anything goes wrong, I'll call."

"Ok, okay," Charlie finally conceded.

Her father may have agreed and been accepting, but Garrett still appeared concerned. He would just have to wait until they arrived at the Cullen house because she was not about to say something that would have her father making a detour to the hospital.

Pulling up to the house, Bella was a little surprised to find Edward waiting for her…and that meant, she could say nothing to Garrett. Not even a small snippet to help him feel better about her condition. She would just have to push through, besides, it wasn't like half her problem wasn't mental to begin with – just not the ghost part.

The moment the car came to a stop, Edward was at Bella's door and opening it for her, "Thanks for coming. Did you have a problem finding the house? I know we live out in the middle of nowhere and it can be hard to find unless you know where you're going." He was rambling and didn't know how to stop.

"No, it wasn't any trouble at all. My dad seemed to know the way," Bella said ignoring the hand he offered, getting out of the car herself, and opening the backseat door to grab her purse and allow Garrett a means to escape the car. As a ghost, he should have been able to walk through walls and disappear, but for some odd reason, he didn't know how and to her, he was as solid as a normal human being. To everyone else, he was non-existent. What made her so different?

"It was no trouble. I pretty much know all the back roads and area here," Charlie called out from the driver's seat. Part of him was hesitant about leaving his daughter here alone, but he had given her a can of pepper spray and knew she would be fine for a couple of hours.

"That's good. Charlie, if you would like to come in, my dad is in the house," Edward told him.

Shaking his head, the police chief responded, "No. I'm going on up to the station. Bells, I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick you up."

"Ok, thanks dad," Bella waved and watched as her father drove off. In front of her stood a somewhat nervous Edward Cullen, and behind her stood his cousin, Garrett. This wasn't going to be awkward at all…no, not at all. Even she could see the lie in that belief.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and said, "Well, umm, my mom is cooking lunch, so if you're hungry…" His words dropped off.

"Uh, sure, that sounds good," she said and started to follow her classmate into the house, her anxiety decreasing ever so slightly when she felt Garrett's hand press against the small of her back. That simple gesture gave her a tiny measure of peace and happiness.

Walking inside the house, the pleasant aroma of oregano and garlic filled the space. "My mom decided to cook Italian. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I like Italian food," she gave her host a small smile as she answered.

Garrett leaned closely and whispered, "Me too."

She tried to ignore the breath on her neck and cheek, tried to ignore the words spoken, but she still got chills and her body slightly trembled.

"Are you cold?" Edward inquired.

Bella shook her head, "Not at all. Just got one of those instant chills that goes through your body. You know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I'm fine."

"Bella, thank you for coming to our home," Carlisle greeted her from the stop of the steps.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen. Thank you for inviting me," Bella replied politely.

"Please, call me Carlisle. Lunch won't be ready for about another ten minutes. Edward, if you would like to give her the tour, you have time."

"Thanks," Edward muttered and turned slightly red.

If she needed confirmation about his feelings, to Bella, Edward's reaction did just that. Why else would he blush when given a little more time alone with a girl? Did his parents know how he felt?

Pointing to a door behind her, Edward said, "That's the garage and a closet. Over there is a game room and movie room. Upstairs is the actual living space." He started up the steps and heard her following, except it also sounded as if there may actually be a third pair of feet. Glancing over his shoulder, he found only Bella following him and decided it must be the acoustics messing with him. "I'm really glad you were able to come. How have you been feeling?"

"I've been okay. I still have a headache from hell, but it is starting to get better."

"Yeah, I have that problem too," he said as he reached the top of the stairs and turned around to wait on her. For a brief moment, less than a second, he thought he saw someone behind Bella, but that couldn't be true. No one was there. Behind her was nothing but empty space.

Cresting the top of the stairs, Bella asked, "Something wrong?"

"No! Nothing. Sorry. Sometimes I just space out. My dad thinks it's from the head injury," he quickly said as an excuse. He certainly wasn't going to tell her that he thought he saw the vague outline of a person behind her. It would make him sound crazy, and after seeing what Bella went through when she said she could see Garrett's ghost, he didn't want to have to deal with that as well. Besides, it was probably just the light playing tricks on him today.

"Ah. If you aren't up for this, I can…"

Before she could say anything else, Edward held up his hands and interrupted her, "No! No, I'm fine. I just have those moments periodically. Still healing and such."

"Yeah. I understand." If she hadn't felt awkward before, she certainly did so now.

"Um, so this is the living room," he pointed towards the living space to his right.

Bella spotted a baby grand piano in the corner, "Does someone play?"

Blushing a little more, Edward answered, "I do. I've played since I was a little kid."

"You do?"

"Yeah. It's one of my hobbies. Would you like to hear something?"

"Sure." Her body contained not one musical bone, and she even believed she was tone deaf, so she always envied the people who had an aptitude for music.

He didn't have to be asked twice. If he could use his talent to impress her, he would. Sitting down at the piano, his fingers brushed against the keys and then pressed down. His fingers started to move up and down the keyboard as a complex tune was brought to life.

"He was always so talented. This was one of his own compositions. He's probably written hundreds of pieces," Garrett told her softly as if someone, anyone, would be able to overhear their conversation.

Her eyes widened, but she did not respond.

"I always told him he was good enough to get into Julliard, but he never wanted to go."

"Why?" The word was no more than a breathless whisper.

"I'm not sure. Abandonment issues probably. His parents died when he was young and Carlisle and Esme adopted him. They knew his family, and it seemed no one else really wanted him, either that, or there was no one else to take him. I think going off to Julliard, he would have felt like he lost his family again or would be afraid of losing them. He wasn't there when his parents passed away and I think he always thought if he would have been there, maybe he could have saved them."

"That's so sad."

"He knows sadder ones," a new voice said.

Whipping around to see who was standing behind her, Bella found a petite woman with brown hair, "Excuse me?"

Alice's smile grew, "He knows sadder songs."

It took a moment before she understood what the newcomer was talking about, "Oh…oh, he does?" Alice had heard her comment to Garrett. How embarrassing. Was that one retort enough?

"Mmmhmm, he knows a lot of songs. It's been a while since I heard him play this one though. I'm Alice Cullen."

Accepting the hand she offered, Bella shook it and smiled, "I'm Bella Swan."

"Pixie... By the end of the visit, she will have you convinced you are best friends and it will seem like you've known each other forever," Garrett chuckled.

It was hard not responding to his voice, but somehow she managed.

Alice was practically bouncing, "I'm so happy you were able to come. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you when you were in the hospital with my brother. Thanks for everything you did."

"It's…okay. I'm just sorry…"

"No. It wasn't your fault and I know Garrett wouldn't blame you either."

Another smile lifted the corners of Bella's lips, "Your right." How could she possibly argue with the girl when Garrett was at her side agreeing with everything Alice was saying? That's when she noticed her staring at the spot directly to Bella's right…exactly where Garrett was standing. "Alice?"

"Huh? Nothing. I just have a feeling Garrett is still with us," she snickered and then called out, "Lunch is ready."

"Esme didn't call us yet," Edward stated from the piano.

"Do you really want to argue with me?"

At that moment, Carlisle walked into the living room, "Lunch is ready."

"Told ya so," Alice stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"All right. I will never question you again," Edward held his hands up in surrender and strolled towards Bella, "Are you ready to eat?"

"Sure. It smells great," she politely responded. There was something about Alice and the things she said that made her believe the pixie-like girl (Garrett had been right, that was the best way to describe her) knew something.

With others at the table and not just Edward, lunch felt easy and un-pressured. Alone with Edward, and Bella felt out of sorts and like she needed to be on guard, but for now with this gathered group, she could relax her and enjoy the atmosphere because after lunch is when she and Garrett planned on talking to Edward and Carlisle.

And then the time came. As Carlisle was about to go to head upstairs and Edward was suggesting they go down to the game room, Bella spoke up, "Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to the both of you for a few minutes."

Carlisle could see the determination in her eyes and knew this was important, "Sure. Why don't we go into my study?"

Edward wanted to spend some time alone with Bella and wasn't a fan of this diversion, however, he could also see how important this was and nodded, "Okay."

Once the door was closed, the anxiety and nerves increased 100 fold. Why had Bella believed this was a good idea? Clearing her throat, she began, "I'm going to share something with both of you, and I want you to listen to me. I'm not crazy and I'm not seeing things. Garrett is still here. I know you think ghosts aren't real, but I'm telling you, he is." She paused for a moment and allowed her words to sink in.

The two men looked at each other and then back to their guest. Neither were sure what to think or say.

Knowing she needed to say something quickly in order to prove she wasn't seeing things, she rushed, "Garrett said that you've composed hundreds of songs and that you could have studied at Julliard. He also said that you didn't want to leave the family and you lost both of your parents as a kid."

"How…How did you know that?" Edward's stunned words sounded almost choked.

"Garrett told me."

"This has to be some kind of joke. Right?"

"It's not a joke."

He wasn't sure why he did it, but he asked, "Then ask him about the twins he picked up last year."

"The twins?" Her eyes fell upon Garrett who had decided to lean against one of the windows behind Carlisle's desk. "What twins?"

"Nothing," Garrett brushed it off.

Bella could see how uncomfortable he was feeling and pressed on, "What twins?"

"I'm telling you, it was nothing."

"If it was nothing, then why would he bring it up?" She wasn't sure why she felt so antsy and jealous. It was the past, and besides, Garrett was a ghost now.

"He brought it up to cause trouble, like he often does."

Carlisle wasn't sure what was happening around him, but he asked, "Who are you talking to?"

"Garrett!"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edward demanded, "Oh, and what's he saying?"

"He says that you are just trying to cause trouble like you always do and that the whole thing with the twins was nothing," Bella snapped.

"Then how can we know you're actually seeing and talking to him?"

Edward's condescending attitude annoyed her, "I don't care what you believe, but it's the truth."

"He's just jealous because they both wanted me. Both twins and a blonde turned him down. In fact, the blonde dumped her coke all over him," Garrett injected.

"Twins and a blonde? Who cares about the fact he was drenched in coke? Let me guess, you took all three home?"

"How did you know about the blonde and her drink?" Edward asked and fell into a chair.

Carlisle inquired, "Is he really here?"

Sighing, Bella nodded, "He is."

Garrett picked up a vase from the bookshelf near him and moved it to the desk much to the amazement of Carlisle and Edward. They still couldn't see him, but they did see the vase moving through the air.

"Oh my god!" Edward gasped.

"I knew it! I knew I wasn't misplacing things," Carlisle whispered. His eyes looked up and found Bella's, "So you really did see him in the hospital?"

"Yeah, I did."

"I'm sorry…"

"No, don't worry about it. I knew it sounded crazy," the wind was taken out of her sails and she felt her anxiety decrease.

Edward still wasn't sure what was happening around him. Garrett was still here as a ghost? "So, why now? Why is it only you that can see him?"

"I don't know why I can and you can't. We were kind of hoping you might have some thoughts on the matter. Plus, he wanted you to know he was still here."

He was jealous of a ghost. That was the only reason Edward could explain why he felt like slapping Garrett when he couldn't even see him. "As far as I know, he lived a carefree life and shouldn't have anything keeping him here. So he just needs to look for that white light or whatever the hell it is and go away!" Getting up, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Don't worry about him. He is still having a hard time with the whole situation since he and Garrett were fairly close," Carlisle placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed before turning around and looking at the vase again, "I just can't believe…"


	8. Guilty

**A/N: Edward and Carlisle now know that Garrett is indeed still with them, however, Edward doesn't seem to be taking it too well. Enjoy the new chapter! I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!**

Chapter 8 – Guilty

He couldn't believe it. Garrett was still there? Well, in a manner of speaking he was. Edward couldn't completely wrap his head around it. His cousin, his dead cousin, somehow still hung around and the only person that could apparently see him was the one girl Edward was interested in.

During the course of his short life, Edward constantly felt like he had been compared to Garrett. Maybe it was only in his mind, but it was true. When they went out together, girls naturally flocked to his handsome cousin, most of the time ignoring the younger tag-a-long. Time and time again, he would try to impress the girls and constantly fell short; whereas, Garrett could sneeze and girls would flock to him holding out a tissue begging to wipe his nose for him and wanting to coddle him so that he wouldn't get seriously ill. As much as he loved his cousin, there were many times when Edward wanted to strangle him with his own bare hands.

When he was younger, the copper headed Edward couldn't wait for his older and wiser cousin to visit; however, in the last couple of years, he had started to distance himself from his cousin. If they were going out in public where the female population would throw themselves at Garrett, Edward would rather decline attending. Witnessing something like that was liable to make him lose his lunch. Of course, there were those times when he couldn't get out of hanging out with his cousin in public…such as the night with the coke incident involving the blonde and twins. Earlier that day, Garrett had taken him out for his first flying lesson and then had taken him to dinner. He should have known his cousin's magnetic personality would draw the women towards him, and Edward had wanted to show up his cousin, except he wound up getting a lap full of coke as his reward. The night had turned into flop.

It had taken months for his cousin to convince him to go out with him again, and one of the only reasons he agreed was because he wanted to learn how to fly. Being up in the cockpit with Garrett, just the two of them, was an amazing feeling. Up there, there was no one else. It was a feeling of freedom. Flying higher than birds, up into the clouds, Edward felt if he stood up and spread his arms the wind would be able to carry him away. It wasn't true, of course, but that's what it felt like. And he had to admit that having his favorite cousin's attention on him alone was the best.

After his parents had died and Esme and Carlisle took him in, Edward went through a period of time when he refused to talk. He would play his piano, write in his journals, read his books, but he would not utter a word. His adoptive parents got worried about him, and then Garrett showed up. He became the cool older brother, and Edward eventually came out of his shell. If it hadn't been for Garrett, it wouldn't have happened. Somewhere in the middle of all of that though, he started to compare himself to the older man, and constantly found himself lacking; but he wasn't the only one doing the comparisons. He lost count of how many times someone told him, "Why can you be more like Garrett?" He was him and Garrett was Garrett. That school of thought was easier said than done.

He wasn't Garrett, didn't want to be Garrett, and yet, he found himself constantly trying to emulate his cousin; and god help him, but after Garrett died, Edward had felt a small level of relief knowing that no one would ever be able to compare him to the older man again. Now, Garrett was back (not that he had actually gone anywhere…in a way) and Bella was the only person that could see him. He was dead and still he gets the girl!

Jealousy mixed with guilt burned in his gut making him feel ill, the food he just finished eating churning in his stomach and turning it sour. Yes, guilt because the reason the plane crashed was all because Edward had not been careful. Today was to be the first time Garrett was going to allow him to take the controls and attempt the landing himself, and so he rushed. His older cousin had told him to do the plane check, and he lied saying he had already done it. On top of that, the investigation found that the fuel in the plane had been bad and created ice in the fuel injector, and that was the cause of the accident. Edward had been the one that had gassed up the plane. Maybe if he had completed the check or something, this would never have happened and his cousin would still be among the living. It should have been a simple flight from Alaska to Washington, but the end result had been horrifying. All his fault. This was all his fault.

Bella deserved to be with Garrett, but now that he was dead, wasn't it Edward's turn? He didn't know. He felt angry at himself for the crash, angry at Garrett for dying… Throwing his journal against his door, he fell to his knees, his eyes burning with unshed tears - damn he missed his cousin and best friend.

 ** _Elsewhere in the house…_**

"So, as I said, we were kind of hoping you would be able to help us with the whys of our situation," Bella stated as she moved her finger back and forth to indicate she and Garrett.

Carlisle felt at a loss. This was new to him and something he never expected to experience in his lifetime. Looking from the seemingly empty chair to his guest and back again, he finally said, "I'm not sure. I'll need to know more about the situation."

"Like what?" Garrett questioned.

Speaking on behalf of her friend, she said, "He wants to know, like what?"

"Have either of you met prior to this?"

Both shook their head, but Bella was the only one to speak, "No."

"I know Garrett met your father a few times, anything that could be holding him back there?"

She turned to Garrett and shook her head, "He said no. Besides, if it was connected to my dad, shouldn't he be haunting him?"

"Not if it was a promise made about you. There have been stories since the beginning of time of people hanging onto the barest of threads, haunting descendants of people just because of promise or wrong doing."

"What about your mother, Renee?"

Garrett answered, "I've only met two Renee's in my life and they were adults when I was a kid."

"He said, no," Bella responded, a small smile lifting her lips at the corners.

Sitting there for a moment, Carlisle steepled his fingers and then told her, "It could also be that you are the most sensitive. That he had a message and you are the only one who can deliver it, or that it is because you were the last to see him alive. It could even be that he is here to help you, and in doing so, will help himself."

"What do you mean?"

Another pause, "It might not be necessarily that he has unfinished business, but maybe he needs to learn a lesson of sorts. Kind of like in Dicken's _A Christmas Carol_. Maybe you need help with something and he has to be the one to help you with it so he can learn a lesson."

Snickering, she said, "In that book, the one being haunted was the one that needed to learn a lesson."

"Maybe you do."

"What?"

Carlisle shrugged, "I'm not saying that it is the case, but it could be that you have a lesson to learn as well. And while I loved Garrett, he wasn't the most…angelic of men. Maybe he needs to prove that he deserves his angel wings so to speak."

"Like in that Dolly Parton movie?"

It was the doctor's turn to chuckle, "Something like that. My recommendation is to focus on you, Bella, and maybe you'll discover the reason both of you need each other right now."

"On me…?" The thing was, Bella couldn't think of anything that she needed help with or something in her life that needed some sort of resolution. It was true she and Garrett had already discussed some possibilities, but the likelihood of that being right…she just wasn't ready for that. Not yet. And what if that didn't release her ghostly friend from his "chains that bound him"? What if they were wide of the mark? What if he left and she missed him so much, she wanted to follow him? What if…she didn't want to ever let him go?

Wanting to take the focus off her and place it on another, she asked, "Do you think Edward will be all right?"

"I don't know," Carlisle answered quietly, glancing briefly at the closed door. "He and Garrett were very close, which I'm sure Garrett has filled you in, and if he hasn't, then he can. Edward is taking his passing very hard and many times locks himself up in his room. Today was the first day he had played piano since before the accident. They were like brothers, and he has started to exhibit the same characteristics as he did after his parents died. At that time, Garrett was the only one who had been able to reach him. They may have had their issues, but Edward looked up to him and loved him." His eyes landed on the empty chair, "Sorry. I know I'm talking as if he isn't here, but…"

"He understands," Bella rushed.

A small smile appeared on the doctor's face, "Garrett had his own issues growing up, and I think that is why he could reach Edward when no one else could. He doesn't have parents either. I say he is family, but he was also adopted by cousins of mine."

Her head whipped around and she gawked at her invisible friend. All of this had been news to her and something she had never heard before, but then again, Garrett wasn't normally one to talk about himself. Maybe she needed to get to know him a little more.

Not wanting to hear Carlisle say anything else, Garrett stood up suddenly forcing the chair to move back a couple inches and declared, "Bella, your dad should be here soon."

His reaction was not missed on her at all, which in turn piqued her curiosity. To the doctor who had been kind enough to sit and talk with her, she said, "It's about time to get ready. My dad should be here soon. Thank you for having me."

"You are welcome any time. I'm just sorry you couldn't spend more time with Edward."

In all honestly, she wasn't, however, she wasn't going to tell him that, "Thank you."

By the time they made it downstairs, Charlie had arrived to pick up his daughter. The visit had come to a close, and Bella couldn't be more grateful for that…although, she was now more than ready to interrogate the ghost sitting in the back seat.


	9. Long Talk

**A/N: I'm still working on NaNoWriMo, but I did manage to hit my goal of 50k words in November. Whew. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm thankful to all of my readers who take the time to read the stories I create for you. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 9 – Long Talk

Charlie didn't stick around long after he dropped his daughter off at the house – even for a small town, he still had work to do and many times received calls to help with other towns and counties. It kept him busy and he loved his job, but there were times, such as now when he watched his daughter from his rearview mirror, that he felt a little guilty for leaving her alone. It almost appeared as if she was arguing with herself. She even turned around and pointed at nothing, jabbing her finger into nothing, talking to absolutely nothing, and that made him wonder if something had happened at the Cullen house. Was she seeing things again? Maybe taking her for a visit, had not been such a good idea.

Bella waited until her father had pulled out of the driveway and was down the road before she said anything, "Want to tell me why you got so agitated with Carlisle back there?"

"Sorry, but it's not a factor in his situation," Garrett answered her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Not a factor?" She spun around and poked him in the middle of his chest, "How do you know? You don't even know why you're here!" Every time she said "you" she poked him a little harder.

"Stop that!" Pushing her hand away, he started to rub the spot she had been jabbing him. "If I remember correctly, neither one of us know for sure."

Instead of standing outside and arguing with air, or having the neighbors decide she had gone completely psycho, Bella stormed into the house and slammed the door behind Garrett, tempted to slam the door in his face and leave him outside. Knowing him though, he would find a way in.

"Thanks for not shutting me out," he snidely commented.

"I could have."

"Maybe."

She wasn't even sure why they were fighting, or why they both seemed irritated. It's just that after watching Garrett's reaction to Carlisle, she wondered what he was hiding, what he didn't want her to discover. Everyone had secrets in their closet, was his any worse than a normal person? And his cocky attitude as he stood there smirking, his arms once again crossed over his chest, raised her irritation factor by quite a significant amount. If this was how he wanted to play, she could do the exact same thing. Crossing her own arms over her chest, she demanded, "What has got your panties in a wad? Carlisle was trying to help and you overreacted!"

"Like I said, it's none of your business."

"Oh, but I think it is because here we are standing in the middle of the foyer in my dad's house and one of us is a god damn ghost and it sure as hell isn't me!"

"Why don't you tell me what dirty little secrets you have hidden in your closet? I can almost guaranty that my current condition has to do with you and not me, honey!" Why was he so angry? Even he didn't know. Maybe he was afraid of how she would look at him when she discovered the truth. Maybe he was afraid that she would turn away from him and run to Edward. Maybe he was afraid of losing yet another person in his life. Then again, maybe this was his punishment for doing the things he had done when he was alive – to watch the girl he was falling for, fall in love with someone else, get married, and live her life. As a ghost, he couldn't be a real part of her life. She belonged with his cousin, she deserved to be happy, however, he was selfish enough to keep her away from Edward.

"Oh yeah because a teenager has so many fucking skeletons in her closet," the sarcasm dripped off her tongue thicker than molasses. Why were they yelling at each other again? She wasn't sure any more. She wanted to get closer to him, and she was afraid that he was actually pushing her away.

"Trust me, kids these days could have an army buried in their backyard and you wouldn't know it."

"So now I'm a kid?"

"Maybe."

"Fine. Then since I'm a kid, you won't hold it against me when I throw a temper tantrum and slam the door!" She flew up the stairs needing to escape from him and the whole stupid argument, and as soon as she was in her room, she slammed the door hard enough to rattle the pictures hanging on the walls.

It felt like hours before she heard someone knocking on her door, but really it had only been about thirty minutes. She didn't want to see or talk to him, still raw from their last go round. Why was this so difficult?

"Bella?" Garrett knocked, and when she didn't answer, he turned the handle and opened the door, "Bella? Look, I'm sorry for how I acted. I just don't think my past has anything to do with what is going on here. If it was, then why would I be with you instead of my own family?" The sound of her sniffle pierced his heart and he felt like a world class asshole.

"When I was growing up, my dad wasn't around a lot because he lived up here and I lived in Phoenix. I know when I was younger, I wanted him to be there more, but he wasn't and when I heard about what happened between him and my mom, I blamed him. I always had this fear that he really didn't want me. Even when I suddenly decided to move up here so that my mom could travel with her new husband, he was a little hesitant. I thought that might be proof he really didn't want me. I guess part of me was hoping he would turn down my offer, but he didn't and here I am. We are two stranger living under the same roof. Every day was a struggle, and then you appeared as if by magic. I thought maybe I'm not alone any longer, but the truth is, we do need to figure out why you're here and eventually, you'll leave too. Everybody leaves at some point. I get that you have been sentenced to dealing with me, so we'll figure it out and you can get going to wherever it is people go after they die."

Before he could stop himself, he was sitting on her bed, picking her up, sitting her on his lap, and holding her close. Whenever she was in his arms, he felt at peace and complete…and this was the wrong feeling to have. She was alive. He was dead. He was a ghost who shouldn't care so much about the brunette in his arms. And if that was true, he also shouldn't be kissing her, but, seeing the tears falling out of her red swollen eyes, tore at his heart and he reacted by kissing her eyes and then capturing her lips. He was falling in love with her and he didn't know how to stop it.

Bella opened her mouth slightly and felt his tongue delve into her mouth. Her body felt like it had been electrified and was on fire. Everywhere her body made contact with his felt hot making her want to get closer to him. Falling backwards, she pulled him on top of her and held him close.

Garrett was no gentleman. He had had countless lovers and women parading through his life, but he could not allow her to be another notch on his belt – not that she would be. She was different, and because she was different, because he was a ghost and no longer living, he couldn't follow through with this. Pulling his lips away, he hurried off the bed, his breathing as erratic as hers. Damn, he wanted her. He had to fight with everything he possessed not to fall back into bed with her, "I'm sorry, Bella. We can't."

"Why?"

His hands tangled in his hair as he pulled, trying to get his breathing under control, "Because you need someone that's alive."

"What if I want you?"

"It…we…can't," he told her quietly, leaving her alone in her room.

Tears silently fell out of her eyes. It amazed her that she still had tears to cry after her earlier tirade, but unlike those, this fell slowly and quietly, sliding down her temple and falling into her hair. He was right, and acknowledging that hurt more than his departure. The sooner they could figure out his reason for being here, the better. If he stayed too much longer, she would never be able to let him go.

It wasn't until her dad got home that Bella finally left her room. Instinctively, her eyes searched for Garrett as soon as she opened her bedroom door; however, before she could find him, she forced them to stop and only stare straight ahead. They both needed distance right now, and until they could figure out his reason for haunting her, she would build a wall around her heart, knowing once he left, she would mourn for him.

"Hi, dad," she said to Charlie as soon as she was off of the stairs. "Sorry, I haven't made dinner."

"You feeling okay, Bells?" Seeing her arguing with nothing earlier was still fresh in his mind.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I was just really tired when I got home and my head was hurting."

"You sure?"

She waved off his concern, "Perfectly fine."

"Well, if you say so." He paused before continuing, "Don't worry about dinner, I grabbed something earlier and we have leftovers in the fridge." His eyes narrowed on her tearstained face, "How was the visit? You seemed kind of off when I picked you up." He had been hoping she would just tell him, but she hadn't said much since he retrieved her.

"It was good. Edward can play the piano and his mom is a good cook."

"That's…good then."

"Yeah." She walked to the sink and got herself a glass of water. For some reason, she suddenly felt as if she was in one of her father's interrogation rooms down at the station.

After a small hesitation, Charlie said, "You know, Bells, you can tell me anything. I'll listen to whatever you want to say."

Previous conversations with Garrett popped into her head, and she knew this was the first step to getting rid of him, "Dad, why didn't you go after mom?"

He had not been expecting that. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he sat down at the small dining room table and sighed. Maybe it was time to come clean, "I tried. She didn't want me though, and she knew I didn't want to leave Forks. I did find a job in California though and thought about moving more than once, but I eventually turned it down and stayed put. As much as I wanted you and your mom, I knew the day I married her that it probably wouldn't last. She was more like a river, always moving and changing. I was more like the lake, always in the same spot."

"Why did you marry her then?"

A small smile appeared on his face and he looked at the table as if he was seeing his past on a monitor, "Because I loved her and thought I could make her happy. I mistakenly believed that if I made her happy enough, she would be okay, but she wasn't. She was running away from her life and I was enabling her."

Her mother had not told her any of this. Was it true?

Charlie continued, "When she left and took you with her, I tried to follow. She told me that I shouldn't have bothered because it would never work out for us no matter where we lived. I turned down the job offer and came home. I was in a dark place after that. Billy helped me through it and eventually, I tried to move on." He snorted in laughter, "I don't know how successful I am considering I could probably count on one hand the number of dates I've been on since your mom, but I have my job and good friends…and I have you, so I'm happy enough."

"Mom said…"

"I can imagine what she said to you," he interrupted. "She always wanted to hold onto some animosity for having her live up here for her unhappiness. Your mom has always followed the beat of her own drum and didn't like anyone confining her. I think she really tried to make a go of things with me and tried to change, but that's not her. It hurt when she left, but I think it hurt more because you weren't here and I knew I would miss out on a lot of things in your life. I was happy for her when she called to say she had found someone and was going to get married again. From what I hear Phil is a nice guy."

"He is. He's good for her and indulges her a lot."

"She needs someone like that. I know it probably wasn't always the easiest life for you growing up, but all I ever wanted was for both of you to be happy."

"Do you still love her?"

"In a way." Seeing her surprised face, Charlie said, "Because she gave me you. I don't regret my time with your mom. I think I did after she left for a time, but if we hadn't been together, I wouldn't have you."

"You could have still moved to be closer to me."

"I could have, but it wouldn't have been right."

"Being with your kid wouldn't have been right?"

"Your mom was unhappy up here. I would have been unhappy down south."

"I see."

"Bells, I loved you more than life itself, but sometimes things don't work out the way you plan. As much as I wanted you with me all of the time, I would have been miserable if I lived close by. And I think your mom would have felt awkward, like I was caging her in again."

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say.

"Look, your mom is a good woman and I'm grateful to her for raising you, but her unhappiness and leaving…I know I'm to blame for a lot of it because I did work a lot and left her alone, but she wasn't happy long before me. She even ran away from home because she didn't like your grandparents telling her what to do and how to do it."

"I didn't realize…I knew that they had a strained relationship, but did she really run away?"

"She did, and she'll probably want to kick my ass for telling you that." He studied her for a second before getting up out of his seat and said, "I know I was absent a lot and I know I wasn't the best father around, but I tried to be there when I could and I always loved you and wanted you with me."

So different. She could remember her mother saying that her father hadn't fought for them, hadn't really tried to keep them together as a family. Renee had said that she was unhappy and her father hadn't cared; however, maybe things were not as one sided as her mother had made them out to be. Bella just didn't know any longer. If her dad was right, her mother had a history of running away from things she didn't like, which thinking back on things, Renee had left a lot of things unfinished because she had gotten bored or didn't like it. For so long she resented her father for letting them leave, and now she hears otherwise. What was she supposed to believe?

The resentment of not having her father, of her mother's suffering would not go away at the snap of her fingers, but she had kind of hoped that it would. What had she been expecting? To hear her father's side of things and suddenly come to some sort of epiphany? Logically, she knew Charlie was telling the truth, but feeling hurt and angry for so long…it was hard to let it all go. "Thanks, dad," she mumbled before returning to her room and shutting the door.

"You okay?" Garrett asked her softly when she had walked in.

She had almost expected him to have disappeared, and she was thankful that he hadn't, "I don't know. I'm not even sure why I am and have been so angry with him to be honest. For so long..."

"Sometimes it's harder to let go of things from when we're a kid than things that happen to us in the present. And you saw your mom hurting. You wanted to protect her, to make her feel better even if it meant that you were fighting against your dad. Come here." As wrong as he knew it was, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She needed him, and he would not abandon her.

Bella allowed herself to be coddled and held, and soon her eyes drifted close and she fell asleep in the strength of the arms holding her. Even if it was wrong to desire it, she hoped he never left her side.


	10. Stalker

**A/N: I apologize for disappearing, but life got a little crazier than normal around the holidays. I am back to my normal schedule though and will be updating at least once a week; although, I might spend extra time on this story since I have not been giving it the attention it or you deserves. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 10 – Stalker

Groaning slightly from the slight chill that had entered her room, Bella peeled her eyes opened and looked around. Everything was just how she left it. Her books were in their place. Her lamp was still sitting on her desk with its twin situated on the nightstand next to the bed. Everything was still the same, and yet at the same time, everything felt different.

Her eyes felt crusty and swollen from shedding so many tears, and her throat still felt raw, but the ache in her chest had lessoned. The anxiety that her father didn't want her had diminished a small amount. Did this mean that she was on her way to healing? Would Garrett soon disappear? She didn't want him to, and that illicit desire to have him with her forever, made her want to stoke the embers of hate and mistrust she had always harbored for her father, but she couldn't. After the talk she had with Charlie the night before, she couldn't keep holding onto those feelings.

She had so many questions and not enough answers, and she had the distinct feeling she needed to get the truth out of her mother, but later. For now, Bella would relish the firm hold Garrett's arms had on her body and go back to sleep. She wasn't even sure why she had woken up in the first place.

And then she heard something. Something small, however, it was enough to put her on alert. Scuffling outside her window, against her house. Now she was pretty sure her bedroom was still on the second floor without a balcony or tree right outside it – and she was only pretty sure because honestly, her world was a little upside down at the moment. Ghosts were not a normal part of most lives after all.

Again. She could hear what sounded like metal scraping against metal. What the hell was going on out there? She was pretty sure her father had already left for work considering it was almost nine in the morning, so another possibility was that a squirrel had decided to take up art and graffiti the side of her house. Although, she doubted that was the case.

Slapping the person behind her, she whispered, "Garrett! Garrett!"

"What?" He wasn't sure if it was normal for most ghosts, but he had fallen asleep and loved the cocoon of warmth he had created with Bella nestled in his arms.

"Don't you hear that?" She demanded rolling her eyes at his obtuseness.

Garrett was about to say something to defend himself when he heard the odd noise she had been talking about. "Shh. Stay here and don't move," he told her as he got out of bed and slowly tiptoed his way to the window.

The thought of him, a ghost, sneaking around amused her and she had to cover her face with her blanket in order to muffle her snickers. No one could see him except her, so why exactly did he need to sneak?

"Shut up!" He ordered in a harsh whisper.

This had her snorting with laughter because again, no one could hear him except her, so why did he need to whisper. Everything about this situation was getting more and more hilarious for her and less threatening.

It was his turn to roll his eyes as he slowly made his way to the window and pulled back the curtain ever so slightly so he could peer out the glass. "What the hell is that idiot doing?" He scowled as he spotted his younger cousin trying to carry and place a metal ladder against the house. "This is not fucking Romeo and Juliet and you are not being carried away by him!" Jealousy surged through him.

"What is it?" Bella called out in a soft voice.

"Edward."

"Ed…Edward? What the hell does he want?"

"My guess would be you considering he's trying to place the ladder against your house and climb up to your window," if it sounded more like an animalistic snarl, Garrett didn't care.

"Why would he do that?"

"Why don't you tell me? You were the one that flirted with him and led him on," he snapped. His jealousy was making him lash out at the wrong person.

"I…STOP! I didn't do anything like that and you know it, considering you've been glued to my side since your demise."

"I've been…? Well, excuse me for sticking so close to you! I'll be sure to keep my distance going forward!"

"Good!"

"Then do whatever you want with lover boy! Goodbye!" Storming out of the room, he ran down the stairs and stopped. Why was he letting something like this get the better of him? Bella hadn't asked for Edward to climb through her window. If anything, he noticed she seemed a little awkward and uncomfortable around his cousin. Had something happened between them?

As soon as Garrett left her room, Bella ducked into the closet. The last person she wanted to deal with was Edward, and there was a bit of a creepy stalker vibe coming from this whole trying to peek through her second story bedroom window. Maybe if she was interested in him, it would feel more like a romantic gesture instead of a nuisance.

And even though he had been the one to lash first, Bella was already regretting her argument with Garrett. They were stuck in a sticky situation and the more time she spent around her ghostly friend, the more she wanted to be with him. Sadly, that also meant that part of her prayed they would never figure out how to send him to heaven or the beyond or wherever it was people went. Whenever she had those thoughts, she felt guilty and it was hard to look him in the eye. She just didn't want to lose him, not when she just found him.

As a child, her mother used to read different fairy tales and books to her, and like most little girls around the age of five or six, she also dreamed that one day her prince would come and find her. Then she grew up and she was given an earful from her mother about how things like that never happened. Bella became jaded, never truly believing in real love. Until now. Not that what she felt for Garrett was love, she actually wasn't sure what it is, but if she were to picture her prince coming for her, it would be him. In reality, Garrett was nothing like a dream prince. He was crass, had a foul mouth, was loud, obnoxious, and acted like an asshole a lot of times; however, it was those other times that had drawn Bella to him. He was handsome to be sure, but he was also caring and supported in those times she really needed him to be, and with him around, she didn't feel so alone any longer.

It was more than just having someone there. It was about having the right person there. With Edward, she would never be able to let go and be truly comfortable around him. There was just something about him that made her uptight. Maybe it was Garrett because she could remember a time when she thought Edward was good looking and she was curious about him. No more though. Her mind was filled with someone else and when that happened, something inside her changed. She liked Edward as a person, but she couldn't relax around him.

Now factoring in the fact he was trying to sneak a peek inside her window like some peeping tom, upped the awkward and creep factor by several degrees. It would be one thing if they were dating or talking, but they aren't. They are classmates who happened to be thrust into an unforeseen accident together. That's all. If he wanted to see her, he should have just knocked on the front door like any normal human being.

Pulling her knees up towards her chest, she really hoped he would just look in and then leave when he saw she wasn't there. This was probably the most fucked up situation she has ever been in and the hole seemed to keep getting deeper and deeper as each day passed.

A small bang made her jump slightly and she realized that must have been the ladder falling into place. How he had managed on his own, she didn't know and didn't want to peek to find out; although, given the amount of noise he was making, he was probably banging into things left and right without meaning to because he couldn't control the ladder on his own.

Edward got the ladder into place and then climbed up. He was sure this was her window because he had seen her peer out to look at the woods one night. If he was wrong, then he would try again…that is if he could finish his self-appointed mission before the neighbors called the police or his father.

One rung at a time, he moved closer and closer towards his destination, his need to see Bella driving him on. She deserved someone alive, someone who could hold her, and not someone who was already dead and ready to move on. What kind of life could she have with Garrett when there was not guaranty he would be around the next day? None. That was no life to live. Edward could offer Bella so much more, and besides, she had saved him from the plane, he survived, ergo, they belonged together.

Cupping his hands around his eyes to block out some of the light enabling him to get a better look into the room, he pressed his face to the glass and found an empty room. There was no doubt that this was indeed Bella's room because he didn't think Charlie liked purple or flowers or any of the other unmanly things inside the small room, but he didn't see Bella. He shouldn't have been surprised. This was a whim he had and he begged his brother Emmett to drive him to Bella's street and drop him off. Reluctantly his older brother agreed, just as he had reluctantly agreed to drive by her house a couple nights ago. He didn't tell Emmett what he had planned on doing, but he figured if it worked for Romeo, it could work for him. Girls liked romantic gestures…right?

Bella heard a soft thud against her bedroom window and knew Edward had succeeded in scaling her house and was peeking into her bedroom. Why had she chosen to hide in the closet? She could have just as easily run down the stairs or something. No, she hadn't done that because Garrett had gone downstairs. And now she was stuck for who knows how long while he decided to leave his nose and handprints on her window.

Edward tried to see if the window would lift, but it was stuck and he couldn't seem to jimmy it open. Odd though because the window didn't appear to be locked. Maybe it was stuck from disuse. He tapped on the wood to see if he could loosen it, but that didn't work and decided to try another method. Pulling out a pocket knife, he worked the blade into the edges to see if that would pry the window loose. It worked. He was able to slide the window open cringing with each squeak, screech, and scrape. If he had planned on being stealthy like a ninja, he had failed.

Hearing her window open made Bella's heartrate accelerate. Edward was actually trying to come into her room. How had he even managed it when the window had been stuck since she got there and her father hadn't had time to fix it? Never before had she wanted Garrett there as much as she did right now. Edward may not be able to see him, but that did not mean Garrett was not capable of doing things.

She contemplated pulling out her phone and dialing 911 or her father's number, however, she thought better of it. Maybe Edward had a good reason for breaking and entering – committing a crime that could give him probation, a fine, a jail term, or a bullet from her father's gun. Besides, her phone was still on her nightstand on the charger. Calling someone wouldn't work. Her options were to jump out of the closet and demand to know what the hell he thought he was doing or to cower in the closet until he left…if he left…if he didn't try to snoop and therefore found her on her closet floor. It looked like jumping out what going to be her best bet.

Pulling her feet under her, she got into a squat and was about to throw open her closet door, but it wouldn't move. She was stuck, and before she could yell for help, she heard her window fall down and Edward scream, "What the hell?" She tried her door again. Nothing.

Her window was opening again, but it didn't get far before it crashed down again. "Garrett?" Her voice was a hushed whisper and she wasn't sure he could hear her.

"Shh," he replied.

Edward had gotten the window open, however, before he could climb in, the window shut on his fingers. Pain radiated up and down his arms starting in his digits. Pulling them free, he shook them and tried to open the window again. It shut before he could get it open a few inches. He knew what this was. Garrett was interfering.

Glaring into the room, he tried a third time with the same results causing him to snap, "Garrett! I know that's you in there! You weren't satisfied with bagging all the girls when you were alive, you want them when your dead too?! I'm not going to let you touch her! I know you just want one more notch on your belt before you cross over. Leave her alone!"

Snorting with derision, Garrett muttered, "You don't know anything little boy."

"Let me guess…you told her that she was special and that you cared about her. Same old story every time. You wrap the girl around your finger, get her in the sack, and leave. Fuck 'em and leave 'em. Isn't that what you told me you did? That you didn't want a long term commitment or someone clinging to you?"

His gaze fell onto the closet door. He wanted to open the window and punch his cousin, not caring if he fell the two stories to the ground, but he didn't. The truth was, he had said that in the past. He had never found anyone that had gotten under his skin before…not until Bella. And now his one regret in life was dying before he met her.

"You're dead! She needs to be with someone alive! Someone who can love her the way she should be loved!"

Nothing Edward was saying differed from what Garrett thought himself. Bella did deserve to have someone alive, did deserve to have someone who could love her without the fear that he would disappear on her, and did deserve to have a happy future with kids and a husband. Those were things he couldn't give her; and yet, just the thought that the person standing next to her for the rest of her life would be Edward, made Garrett's blood boil. He couldn't understand why Edward was trying to sneak into Bella's room.

There had been a couple of occasions when Garrett believed that Edward had a controlling personality. This latest move just proved his point. Bella did not need someone who would break into her house in order to see her. She needed less crazy. Alive, but less crazy.

"Garrett! Do you hear me?"

"The whole neighborhood can hear you," Garrett growled as he flipped the lock.

Edward started to yell something else, but stopped before he could utter one syllable. Charlie had arrived home with siren blaring and lights flashing. Someone had called to report Edward's recent criminal activity. As carefully as he climbed, Edward descended the ladder and found the police chief waiting on him, "Good morning sir."

"Want to tell me what you're doing trying to break into my daughter's bedroom?" Charlie demanded, and unforgiving leer on his face. When he had received the call, he had rushed home as quickly as possible and found Edward on a ladder just as his next door neighbor had reported.

"I was just trying to talk to her," Edward rushed.

"Ever hear of a phone or front door?" Grabbing the younger man by his shirt collar, he dragged him towards his police cruiser and threw him in the back seat. "We'll just go to the station and call your dad." Not only was this kid peering into a window, but he had been sneaking peeks into Bella's window. Charlie saw red, "You stay put!"

Under his breath, Edward mumbled, "This is all Garrett's fault."

Charlie ran inside to check on his daughter and found her in sweats with her hair in a towel. Thankfully, Edward had not found her and she had been in another room, but then he started to think about what if Edward had arrived a few minutes later and found her changing. His anger grew.

"What's wrong dad?" Bella asked playing dumb.

"Don't worry about it, Bells. I just wanted to be sure you were all right."

"I'm fine. What happened?"

"Now don't get upset, but Edward was trying to climb a ladder and look into your window."

"He did what?" She yelled proud of her acting abilities.

"The neighbor saw him and called it in. I'm gonna take him down to the station and call his dad. You didn't see or hear anything?"

"No. I was in the shower."

Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair and told her, "Okay. I'll be back in a little bit."

As her father started to turn around, she asked, "What's going to happen to him?"

"He's lucky I'm not going to throw his ass in jail overnight. I'll call his dad and we'll decide. He's been through enough lately and I'd like to think he was just using bad judgement, but if he does it again, I'll make sure he gets the maximum allowed," with that, Charlie left drove off with a despondent looking Edward in the back seat.

"I think you deserve an Oscar," Garrett mocked after her father had driving away.

Her face set in a scowl when she looked at him, "Was he lying?"

"Bella."

"Was he?"

"Who I was when I was alive has no bearing on who I am now."

She stood there for a moment before she nodded, "You're right because right now you are a ghost who is haunting me and we don't know why. I need to remember that." She turned and walked up the stairs, entered her room, and softly shut the door.

To Garrett, it felt as if a wall had been slammed down between them. Even though he barely heard her door close, the sound still seemed to echo around him. Had he lost her? No because she was right. He needed to remember he was a ghost and the sooner they figured out why he was there, the better. That's what his head said, but his heart disagreed.


	11. Helping a Friend

**A/N: I'm trying to focus on this story right now so that I can finish it. I don't know that we will have that many more chapters to it since we are almost to the climax. I just need to put a couple things in place and then I can start wrapping it all up. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 11 – Helping a Friend

Silence reigned in the car as Carlisle drove Edward home. He didn't know what to say, slightly afraid of what would come out of his mouth if he were to open it right now. Attempting to break and enter the police chief's residence and peeping. Both could carry charges if the chief had been so inclined, and in the back of his mind Carlisle wondered if they should have added stalking to the list of crimes.

He was trying to be understanding because Edward had been through a lot. Not only had he been through a traumatic accident, suffered serious injury, but he was also dealing with the loss of his cousin and best friend, and due to his son's unconscious condition at the time, Edward hadn't been able to attend the funeral in order to say goodbye.

Goodbye…things had changed only twenty-four hours prior. Garrett, albeit still dead, still existed on the same plane as the Cullen family. Granted he was a ghost and could only be seen by Bella Swan, but he was still there. Maybe this was Edward's opportunity to say his goodbyes, to confess anything that might be on his mind.

Carlisle wasn't completely oblivious. Anytime someone even mentioned the name Garrett, the younger man would look away, staring into nothing, before finding some reason to leave the room. Guilt ate away at him, and no one knew why. He hadn't caused the crash – even the FCC investigation found that the plane had obtained a tank of bad gas which caused ice to build up in the engine thus leading to engine failure. It was a fluke that no one could have possibly had control over. No one could be blamed for the accident, not Garrett and certainly not Edward.

Arriving at the house, Edward grabbed the handle to open the door, however, he was stopped when his father grabbed his shoulder pulling him back into his seat. "What?" He snapped defensively, probably not the best attitude to have considering he had just been collected from the police station and when Carlisle arrived, he had been sitting in a jail cell in order to "think and reflect on his stupidity and actions". At least that's what Charlie told him as he wound down his lecture. Every time he had attempted to talk back, the level of the chief's voice would rise several decibels. Finally getting the hint, he shut up and endured the lecture the entire ride to the station and into the holding cell. The only time Charlie took a breath was when he picked up the phone to call Carlisle.

"What were you thinking?" The father demanded to know. He hadn't raised his voice and he sounded calm…too calm.

"I wasn't. Okay? Isn't that what you want to hear?" Edward snapped and lashed out at the only person available. Thinking about Garrett in Bella's house, being around her all of the time as if he lived there, still set him on edge.

"Edward, I'm trying to understand…"

"There's nothing to understand. Garrett is dead and he still wins."

His patience and restraint were quickly flittering away at Edward's antagonistic attitude and Carlisle's voice raised ever so slightly making his adopted son jump, "Stop blaming Garrett for what you did! You were the one that made the decision to put a ladder against the house, climb up, and look into Bella's window. Not Garrett! If you have feelings for her, there are better ways to go about showing her rather than breaking and entering."

"I didn't actually enter," Edward mumbled.

"It doesn't matter! You still went there with the intent to do just that!"

"I didn't even see her because Garrett wouldn't let me into the house!"

"Maybe that's a good thing!"

His eyes narrowed and Edward slowly turned his head to glare at his father, "Are you taking his side?"

"This isn't about sides. It's about right and wrong. Garrett is dead and we need to help him move on. It's time to let go of this animosity you hold towards him!"

Exhaling long and loud, the younger man's head drooped, "I know! I know. I just don't know how to let it go."

Carlisle sighed as well and after sitting there in silence, he finally said, "You have to find away. If you don't, you may regret where you find yourself." It was the last thing spoken before he left his son to sort through his thoughts alone.

Edward watched his father enter the house and disappear behind the heavy door. Carlisle was right, Edward knew that, however, it did not mean that this was easy for him. Giving into temporary insanity had found him sitting in a jail cell and waiting for his father to retrieve him – not something he wanted to repeat any time soon – and at this point, he wasn't exactly sure what had prompted him to act so rashly. Jealousy, insanity, being a first rate idiot? All were plausible.

His head shook from side to side as he still sat in the car thinking about what he had done and what he had hoped to gain. Well, that answer was easy. He wanted Bella to realize that she couldn't be with Garrett and to fall for him, and to be honest, he still wanted that; but forcing her, forcing the issue, the only thing that would accomplish would garnering her hate and fear. He was acting like a madman. He knew that, and yet, he still wanted his chance with her, still wanted an opportunity to prove that they could be good together.

Reality was so different from dreams and desires. The reality of his situation was he didn't have a chance with her. He had seen that himself the short amount of time he had been in Carlisle's office with her. The small lilt in her voice when she uttered Garrett's name, the way she looked at the empty space his cousin supposedly occupied, told Edward her heart had already been claimed by another. It wasn't fair. When would it be his turn, his chance?

What he had yelled earlier outside of Bella's window had been the truth. As crazy as he had sounded, he felt it is duty to remind his cousin that he was dead and Bella deserved someone alive, someone who could hold her and be with her for the rest of her life. Garrett could not do any of that – well, maybe he could hold her, but maybe not, and if he could, that would be all he could do.

If he was smart, he would bide his time, help Bella rid this world of Garrett's ghost, and then when she was ready to move on, be the one she found standing at her side. It sounded good, but it was hard to be patient knowing that the plan may never bear fruit. Then again, if Garrett didn't cross over to the other side, he would always be the person that stood between him and Bella. Just thinking about that gave Edward the chills and made him shiver even though he wasn't cold. No, Garrett definitely needed to move on, but what was keeping him here?

"You know…" Emmett knocked on the window and laughed loudly when he saw his brother jump in fright.

"Looks like our dear brother was lost in his thoughts," Jasper snickered. "Maybe he is trying to start the car with the power of his mind."

"Couldn't be. That would require a mind first."

"Funny," Edward rolled his eyes at the two older boys in his family. For the most part, Emmett and Jasper left him alone, but there were times when they liked to give him a hard time. And after the accident, it seemed as if they were trying to spend as much time as possible with him. As if they were afraid of leaving him alone.

Another roll of his eyes and he got out of the car, "Did you two need something?"

"We were goin' to play ball. Want to come?" Jasper asked, his eyes searching his brother's face for something that would give a clue as to his recent mood. The accident shook everyone up and Edward hadn't seemed the same since he woke up. Granted part of it could be that he had a crush on his savior, but there was more to it than that. He didn't want to talk about Garrett and sometimes pretended their cousin never existed, and since Bella's visit to the family home, his mood had gotten worse.

"No, I think I'll just go up to my room to read."

Clasping Edward on the shoulders, Emmett told him, "You have got to give your mind a break sometimes. Live a little and have fun!"

"Excuse me if I would like to excel in school and my studies so that I can get into a first rate college instead of…whatever it is you're going to be doing."

"For your information, I get A's and B's only," Emmett retorted tapping down the urge to hit him on the back of the head.

He'd stepped into it now, but he refused to back down, "Well, you do have a brain. Good to know you aren't the scarecrow" Fighting his smile, he watched as the corner of Emmett's lips twitched. His older brother was fighting the urge to laugh. In one of their past schools, Emmett had been forced to join the drama club by some of his classmates and had been cast as the scarecrow, which in turn caused his siblings to rib him virtually nonstop for a while. Every once in a while, it still came up.

"Not cool," but there was no heat behind Emmett's words.

"If you two are done waltzin', we gotta go," Jasper announced, however, before he left, he gave one last bit of advice to Edward, "She needs a friend right now."

His jaw dropped open as he watched his adopted siblings running towards Jasper's truck. How had he known? Granted Edward hadn't exactly been hiding his feelings for Bella, but for Jasper to come right out and say something…first, it wasn't something the taller man usually did, and secondly, he thought he appeared more in control than he had been. Maybe it would be better to stand back and give her space. The question was not so much of what was better, but if he could.

As much as he wanted her, as much as he wanted to steal her away from Garrett – to prove that he was the better guy and because he felt he was deserving of her – he needed to control himself and bide his time. He would help her send Garrett off and then he hoped it would be his turn to make a move.

 ** _Bella's House…_**

She could hear Garrett moving around downstairs and ached to go to him, but she wouldn't. Her heart was already beating erratically around him and she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, she was already falling for him. No, she had fallen. This was something she never planned on, never wanted, and never suspected it could happen to her; and now that it had, her heart was already breaking. Edward was right, Garrett wouldn't be around forever. And besides, what did she really know of him?

Pulling up a search page on her computer to do some research, Bella decided the sooner they figured out their quandary, the better. The only problem was, all of the sites she found talked about unfinished business or holding onto emotions, and based on what Garrett had said, he had neither. Could he have forgotten something? The only thing she knew for sure, the longer he stayed, the more attached she got.


	12. Medium or Misleading

**A/N: Edward is a little on the creepy side and I'm not sure if I originally intended to make him like that. LOL. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 12 – Medium or Misleading

Bella's head swam. Unfinished business, lingering feelings…which one held Garrett shackled to this world and unable to cross over? It had to be one or the other according to the majority of the sites, but then again, Carlisle had said something about Garrett remaining on this plane due to needing to help her with something. And still she felt as if she stood at an impasse, unable to determine what in her life could keep someone she had never met chained to her.

Sure her life did not consist of rainbows and roses, but what life did? She had issues with her father, issues with her mother, and issues with the past. All in all, she was a normal everyday teenager…who just happened to have a good looking ghost hanging around her – one only she seemed to be able to see. Normal. Perfectly normal.

"Maybe a psychic or medium would be able to help us?" She muttered to herself, jumping out of her chair when she heard an unexpected response.

It had been quiet, almost too quiet upstairs for Garrett's liking, and so he decided to check on the one girl on the plant that could not only see him and hear him, but she was also the only one that he could ever remember thinking about nonstop. Never before had he experienced such a phenomenon, and to be honest, he had never experienced such feelings for another person in the past. He was royally fucked. As a ghost, he could do nothing more than watch her move through her life without him, to watch as she found someone else, loved someone else, married someone else…that train of thought made him want to murder the person she would eventually fall for – even if it wasn't the right reaction to have. He didn't care, but trying to force her to stay with him was like trying to make the world spin backwards: pointless, wrong, and impossible. He was dead, a mere ghost, and therefore, he could not claim her heart.

Leaning against the door, he watched her staring intently at her computer before mumbling some nonsense about asking advice from someone. The only problem with that, there were real ones and fakes. How do you tell the difference? "I don't think that's a good idea." He almost laughed at her startled reaction…almost. It was so hard to hold it in and not bark with mirth.

Without missing a beat, she settled herself back in her chair and told him, "They could help us figure out the reason your still hear."

"In a hurry to get rid of me?" Although he knew it would be for the best, he wasn't ready to leave her – didn't know if he would ever be, which made his feelings and this whole situation pure torture.

"It's what needs to be done," came her vague answer, her eyes returning to the computer.

He chose to ignore her comment and asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"I don't know…someone tried to break into your house, you were hiding in the closet, and your dad came home and arrested him." Inwardly he cringed at how snarky his retort sounded.

She never lifted her eyes from the screen, "I'm fine." In reality, she wasn't. It unnerved her to no end that Edward Cullen would attempt such a feat, but his shouts bothered her even more. "I think we should arrange to see this medium in Seattle."

"Bella…"

"It's done and the sooner we figure out what the hell you're doing here, the better."

"Bella…"

"Garrett…Edward was right. You don't belong here and you will be going soon. I think the sooner the better." She refused to look at him, afraid that if she did, she would start to break down and cry because she was already attempting to let him go and the loss she felt was acute.

"I got it," he whispered, turned around, and walked back down the stairs.

Hearing the door open and close, she almost jumped up and ran after him, but she wouldn't allow herself to get any closer to Garrett than she was. Her heart was already breaking, anymore attachment would rip her apart. Instead of going after him, she picked up the phone and made arrangements for the medium in Seattle to come to her house. Since she couldn't drive and convincing her dad to take her was out of the question, this was the only solution.

She should have known it would end in disaster.

Madame Korsak arrived with an air of authority and mystery, but that was all she had going for her. Upon entering the house, she told Bella, "You have three ghosts with you. I see a mother figure and two grandparents."

Trying to keep from rolling her eyes, Bella shook her head, "No. My mom is still alive."

"I said mother figure."

She didn't want to argue with the medium, but Bella didn't agree. Biting her tongue though, she said, "Actually, I called because…"

Madame Korsak held up her hand and announced, "I know why you called. You are trying to get rid of the spirits."

Well, that was one thing she had right, "Yes."

"She can't even see me. And what the hell is this about other ghosts? I'm the only one here!" Garrett growled from behind the medium.

Bella asked, "Do you feel anything behind you or…?" Her worlds trailed off as she waited.

Closing her eyes to concentrate, the medium said, "Behind? No. They are only around you."

"See?" Garrett's glare was chilling as he crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.

"Are you sure?" Bella questioned.

"I'm sure," the stranger answered.

Shaking her head, Bella told her, "I don't think we'll be needing your services today. Thank you anyway."

"Yes, you do. If you want to get rid of those spirits, you need my help."

Before the younger woman could say anything, Garrett flung a candle stick to the ground behind the fake medium causing her to scream and jump. Then, he gave her a slight push making her trip over her own feet.

This was new. Normally people came to her, she whispered a few words, smudged the house, and she would leave. If it got rid of the problem, great, and if not, oh well. Ghosts weren't real, however, how did Madame Korsak explain the falling candlestick or the fact that someone pushed her from behind. There was no one behind her! Suddenly, she was scared and questioned the girl in front of her, "Just what are you pulling here?"

Garrett picked up a piece of fake fruit, knowing it wouldn't hurt her, and hurled it at the medium. He kept throwing fruit until the bowl was empty and the woman left screaming from the house. All in all, he hadn't done anything overly scary or horrible to her, but then again, it wasn't every day you came into contact with a real ghost.

"What in the hell is going on in here?" Charlie demanded from the door.

The appearance of her father prevented her from saying anything to Garrett. Looking at her dad, she said, "Nothing. She was a salesperson who seemed lost and I was giving her a drink. She tripped and tried to blame it on me. Then she left. I'm not sure what happened." The lie sounded and tasted bitter on her tongue.

Charlie knew he wasn't getting the whole story, but he also knew that this was probably one of those times when it was better to let it go than to pursue real answers, "Fine. Just clean up the mess."

Her dad had started to head up the stairs and she stopped him, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you dated again? Are you still caught up on mom?" It had been something she had been wondering since their initial deep conversation.

He ran a hand over his face and answered, "Just haven't felt like it…and no, it's not because your mom. I just haven't found someone I've wanted to date. I'm not gonna lie. It took me a while to get over your mom, but I'm not still twisted up over her. We've both moved on and that's it."

"Would you have done anything different?"

His answer came almost immediately, "No. Being with your mom, I got you. I regret not spending as much time together when you were younger, but I know that neither your mom nor I would have been happy in the same location, which means, you would have felt all of the awkwardness. So no, I wouldn't have changed what happened." Another pause before, "Do you want to tell me what's really going on with you?"

Shaking her head, she told him, "There's nothing to tell."

"I thought you might say that. I'm here if you need me," he sighed and walked up the stairs and to his room.

"I told you the medium was a bad idea," Garrett snapped.

Spinning around, she raged at him in a low voice so her father would not hear, "And so you decided to attack her?"

"She was trying to con you and you're pissed at me?"

"There were better ways to get rid of her!"

"Not from where I was standing! Think about how many countless people she has conned and let that sink in. She needed to know that she was messing with something she had no business messing with!"

Bending over to pick up the scattered fruit, Bella couldn't argue with his logic. Not when it put it like that, which made him look like a good guy in a bad situation, a hero of sorts – and she fell for him a little more. "So what do we do now?"

"Maybe it's time you called your mom and talked to her?"

"Why?"

"Because I just have a feeling that this is more about you than it is me."

For some reason that felt like a slap in the face, "Because why? Am I the only person with a fucked up life?"

"Stop being a brooding teenager and think about this for a second!"

"Brooding?! Why don't you think about your own life? From what I hear you didn't live a noble lifestyle. Maybe you left something unfinished!" She finished her chore and stomped into the kitchen to start dinner, pulling out pots and pans and slamming them on the counter. Cooking would allow her to think about something other than Garrett.

He let her have her solitude for a few minutes, but the guilt started to eat away at him and he had to go to her, "I'm sorry. I know this isn't the most ideal situation. I've thought about my life a lot…about things I would have changed and moments I will cherish, but the truth is, I never formed attachments to anyone outside of my family, and even then we didn't exactly have a strong relationship. Girls I dated were basically just flings. I never cared for anyone before… I didn't have a lot of friends. Everyone was more like an acquaintance. I guess I was what one would call a loner. I know people probably came to my funeral and probably said we were friends, but in all honesty, I never considered anyone a real friend. No attachments meant that I wouldn't be hurt, that I could leave at a moment's notice. That was the kind of life I lived. I had my plane, I had my work, and I had my family. That's all I needed at the time."

Listening to everything he was saying, broke her heart. It sounded like a cold and lonely existence, but wasn't she the same way? Her friends in Arizona weren't really friends. She hadn't even really talked to them since she moved. The people here, they more or less forced themselves on her because she was the new shiny toy to the area. Her mom was her only constant and her best friend, and now she was finding that some of what she believed to be true might actually be lies. The one shining spot in her life right now was Garrett. In some twisted joke the universe was playing on her, a ghost had become a reason for her existence and happiness in this dreary town. Maybe they were more alike than she ever knew. Unable to answer, she only nodded her eyes remaining on the pot in front of her.

And later that night after her father was snoring in his room, she picked up her phone and called the person who had kept her grounded her whole life, "Mom, I was wondering if we could talk." Garrett was right. It was time to have a conversation with her mother.


	13. Confronting Mom

**A/N: My luck in 2016 hasn't been the best. About the time I was getting back on track with my writing, I fell and got a concussion, which meant not computer. It's taken some time to bounce back and I'm still not 100%, but when I feel up to writing, I am doing it. Hopefully that will be the last hiccup to my updating. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 13 – Confronting Mom

"Mom, I was wondering if we could talk," Bella asked her voice shaking from nervousness. It might have been time to finally talk to her mother, but that didn't mean this conversation was easy for her. The woman who raised her, loved her, was always there for her, her best friend…Bella was on the verge of calling her a liar and demand the truth that had been kept from her her entire life.

"Sure baby, what's up?" Renee always loved hearing her daughter's voice and looked forward to all of their conversations. The day Bella had decided to move to Forks had been hard for her, even if she was grateful for the additional time she would be able to spend with her new husband. Still, tonight there was something in her daughter's voice that said this would not be a pleasant talk. Had something happened?

Taking a deep breath, the younger woman tried to steady her nerves, but it didn't help. She just had to dive in and spill her guts, "What really happened when you left dad?"

"What do you mean?"

"You told me that dad didn't try to come after us, that he didn't really want us. He never defended himself any time I threw it in his face, but was all of that true?"

"Baby, where is this coming from?" This was a conversation Renee had hoped she would never have to have with her daughter. When Bella was small, Renee had said a lot of things in her hurt and anger, and she made the mistake of saying most of it in front of her daughter, to her daughter, and making sure Bella knew who was to blame; however, as time moved on, Renee saw the error of her ways and eventually found happiness with Phil. She never thought she would have to deal with her past sins. No, that wasn't true. She hoped and prayed she would never have to deal with them, never have to face them and the lies she told, the lies that were used to drive a wedge between father and daughter.

Bella hesitated for a second before she answered, "I don't know. I've just been doing a lot of thinking since the accident and stuff. I've…" Her voice tapered off. The last thing she wanted to say was that she saw a ghost and this was all part of an elaborate (or not so elaborate) plan to figure out why he's haunting her of all people. If she told her mother that, Renee would be on the next plane for Washington and who knows what the hell would happen then.

A knot formed in the mother's throat and she tried to swallow past it. Everything was finally catching up to her, and she wasn't ready for it. "I'm sure everything seems overwhelming to you right now being in a new place and starting a new school. So many changes in your life, maybe you just need to rest."

"Mom?"

"Bella, there's nothing to tell. The past is the past."

"Only it isn't completely. Is it? Why can't you tell me what happened?" Her anxiety was growing in the pit of her stomach making her heart feel like it was pumping faster, her blood flow increasing, and her breathing becoming shallower. Why the fuck was she having an anxiety attack when there was no reason? But then again, not everything could be explained in terms of black and white. Garrett was proof of that. "Just tell me."

"There's nothing to tell. I was unhappy and left. We went to California and that was that."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"No." Some believed the truth would set you free of your shackles, but Renee feared that it would make her daughter hate her.

"So dad never tried to come after us? He never wanted us?"

"Bella, look. We left, we had an okay life, and that's it. Why do you need anything more?"

"That isn't it!" The teen snapped. Taking in another deep breath in another attempt to calm herself, when she spoke next her voice was controlled and low pitched, "Look mom, I know we had a good life. I grew up fine, but I need to know. This isn't about you or dad or what happened between you in the past. I need to know for me!" Based on what her mother had said, or hadn't, Bella already knew her mother had been withholding the truth from her her whole life, deceiving her own daughter. Her whole belief system about what had happened in the past was all a complete and utter false delusional fabrication.

Renee, who had been standing up next to the bed in the hotel room, fell onto the bed, her legs giving out from under her. The pied piper had come to collect his due. "Why do you need to know? It's the past and it can't be changed."

"I just need to know. Things happened after the accident and it made me think about a lot of things in my life and about the past. Living up here with dad has made me think. If you can't tell me, that's fine, but I've already talked to dad about his version." Hearing her mother's sharp intake of breath, told her she had backed the older woman into the proverbial corner.

There was a long pause of silence before Renee said anything, "You have to understand Bella, I wasn't happy when I was younger. I wanted to be free to live my own life. I rebelled against my parents, society and the norms that it dictated for young lives, and against structure. I wanted to be my own person and not who other people decided I needed to be."

Another pause, and Bella wondered if that had been her cue to say something, but before she could her mother continued.

"When I was younger, I ran away from home. I went up north because I figured that would be the last place my parents would look for me. I just needed to get away. They seemed to have my whole life planned out and I didn't want to have anything to do with their grand scheme. I met your father when I was camping out and having fun. He was so different from me, anchored and he knew what he wanted in life. I fell in love with the idea of him…and I knew marrying him would piss off my parents. You came along shortly after that. I convinced myself that I could be happy with him up there, with you. Our little family. But I was never happy. He worked all the time and I was going stir crazy. He tried to take time off or come home early, but it wasn't enough. I loved color and the sun and warmth…Forks had none of that for me. When I was at my breaking point, I packed up the car, packed you up, and left him. I ran back to my parents in California until I could come up with a better plan."

"And dad? You always said he didn't want us and that he just let you leave."

"He tried to follow. I think he even said something about getting a job in California, but I told him not to bother. I wanted to get away from him, not have him cage me in by living just down the road from me. I couldn't do it. He tried to move again when we went to Arizona and I told him if he did that, I would just move to another state. So, he stayed in Forks."

"You kept him away from me?"

"Honey, I did what was best for us. He wouldn't have been happy and neither would I."

"No, you did what you thought was best for you!"

"Bella, if he would have moved, he would have been just as miserable down south as I was up north. He loved his job and his life in Forks. He still does. Leaving all of that…no one would have been happy and you would have been in the middle of it all."

"You still put me in the middle when you told me how horrible he was to you, how he didn't care about us, and how he didn't love me enough to follow!" She snarled.

"Bella…" Renee started and then stopped. She tried again, "Bella, I was scared and hurt and…honestly, I was a little messed up back then. I have never been a good adult, even when I had you. I said those things because I was worried that you would pick your father over me."

"Pick? Mom, did you know all of these years I was convinced dad never really wanted me. That I was a mistake? I honestly believed that my whole birth was a mistake that neither of you wanted."

"That's not true! We wanted you, but it didn't make me happy like I thought it would."

"Gee thanks," Bella snidely remarked ignoring the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

"That's not what I meant!" She ran a hand through her hair. "I meant that I thought if I had a baby, I would be happier. I loved you and I still do, but I realized after I had you that I still couldn't really love your father. I couldn't stay in Forks. I wasn't happy with my life. You were the only bright spot in it. You were the one thing that kept me grounded and going. I discovered my purpose in life when I had you. To be your mother. I may have not been the most organized or completely together of moms, but we had fun and I loved you so much," she proclaimed brushing away her own tears.

With a shaky breath, the teen replied, "You didn't have to lie about anything. I grew up wondering if my own father really wanted me or even if he ever really loved me."

"I know what I did was wrong, but I was selfish and scared."

"I understand that, but…I need to go mom. My head is starting to hurt and I have some things to think about."

"Bella!"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"I know mom. Bye," she hung up the phone before Renee could say anything else and fell backwards on her bed with her eyes closed. Everything she knew, everything she believed, had been turned upside down.

Her eyes popped open when her bed shifted slightly. There sitting beside her was Garrett, the one thing that made sense right now. How messed up was that if it a ghost made more sense to her than her family?

"You okay?" He asked softly, the back of his hand gently stroking her cheek.

"I will be. Just hard to hear. I mean, I expected something like that after talking to my dad, but still."

"I know. It'll work out and you and your parents will be better for it."

"Maybe."

"Trust me."

A small smile appeared on her face. Out of everyone she knew, right now she trusted Garrett the most, "I do."

Unable to stop himself, he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. She had become his world and he wasn't even alive any longer. Part of him really hoped that they never figured out his mission in death.

Bella succumbed to the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down. She knew he would stop her and he did, but even if they couldn't have sex, she needed to feel connected to him – even if it was only lying in the same bed together. God help her, she loved him and wanted to stay with him forever.


	14. Stuck in the Middle

**A/N: I have no clue how it happened, but this story has been nominated for a Non-Canon award for best Bella/Garrett pairing. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! I'll let you know when the voting is open and where to go if you would like to vote for this story. I apologize once again for leaving you hanging. It has not been a banner 2016 and I have been pulled away from my computer more than I would have liked. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 14 – Stuck in the Middle

Bella felt as if she was suspended between the dream and awake world, floating in nothingness – that moment when your consciousness starts to become aware and pushes your subconscious to the back of the mind. She didn't want to leave the dream world. That's where she could be with Garrett without people judging her, without anyone thinking she had been sipping a little too much cray-cray juice. It was where she didn't have to worry and she could be free without the worries and problems of the world…or the problems created by her own parents.

Her parents were fools. Were all adults like that? Maybe, but she never wanted to be. On one hand her father had refused to fight for something he wanted, however, on the other hand her mother had lied to her in order to make sure Bella remained loyal to only one parent. Which one was more fucked up? Weighing the pros and cons – her mother. Renee had stolen a parent from Bella, basically ripping Charlie out of her life so that he was only hanging on by a thread, but part of that he had brought upon himself. But what goaded Bella even more, last night her mother tried to keep the lies buried and hidden even though her own daughter confronted her with the truth.

Dream world was her safe haven. It held Garrett and had become a place they could be together regardless of circumstances. And she knew when he finally left – because she knew he had to – this would be the only place they would meet until it was her time to join him. When would that be? How much time? Would she have moved on? Found someone to fill up the holes Garrett was sure to leave behind? Would she get married and have kids? Or would she never find anyone that could make her feel like Garrett always did? In the short amount of time he had been with her, forced into their unconventional relationship, she had fallen in love. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. A fucking ghost had become the man she yearned for in real life. It was a plot fresh out of Hollywood or a cheesy romance novel. What a joke!

The pull of the awake world, the real world, jerked her forward a little more and she did what she could to push back. If she couldn't stay in her dream would, she would settle for the in between. Garrett could be with her there as well. Waking did not appeal to her and she would fight it with everything she could. Besides after her mother's revelations the night before, she just wanted to pretend for a little longer that everything in her life was for once perfect. Yes, it may make her sound more like a petulant teenager than someone on the verge of adulthood, but in this moment, in this brief period of time, she didn't care.

"Bella…" Garrett had been trying to get her to awaken for the past hour, albeit not very hard since he was enjoying watching here sleeping face and hearing her call out his name. He enjoyed it too much. Neither one of them could change his fate, he had to leave; and yet, the last thing he wanted to do was to leave her behind when she was so unsure about so many things. Hell! If he was being honest, he never wanted to leave her. For the first time in his life – dead and undead – someone had found a way to burrow into his heart – his very soul – and had taken up residence. Before Bella, girls were nothing more than flings and one night stands. If someone lasted longer than 2 or three nights…actually, that had never happened either. Never in his life had he thought about a girl the way he thought about the brunette lying next to him in bed. And the irony is, he had found her when he could no longer have her.

"Bella," his soft whisper called out to her again. Before she fell asleep the night before, she had been upset by her phone call with Renee. He couldn't blame her. Even he wanted to reach through the phone and slap the other woman, and he believed violence against someone weaker was wrong…very wrong. But to manipulate your own child…who the hell did shit like that? He knew the answer. Too many damn people.

Did this really mean that his purpose, his mission if you will, was for Bella's sake? Had he fucked up so much that the only way to get into heaven was to do something good for someone else? Someone who needed it? Flashes of overly romantic movies that the Hallmark Channel specialized in popped into his head. Not normally his cup of tea, but in the past, he had found women ate it up. Not to mention that some of the girls in his family liked to watch that channel, so he found himself a prisoner of romantic bullshit more often than he wanted to be. Looking down at Bella again though, he would have willingly suffered that and more for her. Still would. He would have found a romantic side and have wooed her until she was drowning in it. No more though. She had her life to live and it could not include him. The sooner he left, the better…but damn it was hard to let her go.

"Bella," he tried again. They needed to talk in order to move forward. Whatever that meant in this moment. They weren't exactly working with an instruction manual. No angels from heaven were giving him guidance, they weren't left with a set of instructions like in Beetlejuice. They were on their own figuring everything out as it got thrown their way and filling in the pieces that were missing the best they could.

Groaning, she finally opened her eyes and found Garrett hovering over her with a smile on his face. She didn't think, still half asleep, she just acted. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and pressed her lips to his.

Garrett gave in momentarily. It was hard not to, and he was still a man after all – even if he was dead. Did that make him a supernatural perv? That thought went tumbling into another and another and he finally came to his senses and pushed her away, "No. We can't."

Can't? Bella dropped her arms and stared at the man/ghost in bed with her. Can't? Why did it sound funny to her ears, and then it was as if lightning struck and she was fully awake. Her cheeks turning pink she scrambled out of bed and rushed, "You're right. I'm just going to take a shower and be back." She had never tried to escape a room as quickly as she just did. She needed separation from him.

Punching the pillow, he stared at the door as if any moment his lifeline would return. Why did this have to happen now? Why did he get paired up with her? And why did he finally find love only to never be able to act on it? Okay now he was even getting on his own nerves. Some of his friends might have called him a wuss or wrapped in that moment, and he might have to agree. Bella was messing with his head and he couldn't allow that to happen.

Bella sat on the toilet trying to collect her thoughts for several minutes before she even turned on the water. She needed to clear her head and forget…move forward. Having Garrett here was bad, even if it felt so good and right.

A long shower later, she was blow drying her hair and felt like she had a grip on her emotions and everything else. Kind of. Her mother had lied to her and had essentially separated her from her father. Yes, she had her own part in the treasonous act, but if it hadn't been for her mother… Her father had wanted her this whole time, loved her, but for whatever reason didn't fight for her. She heard his excuses and stories, but the fact was he hadn't fought for her. Hadn't tried to explain himself or tried to right the wrong. Garrett was most probably there because of her, although, she wasn't exactly sure why. Surely she wasn't the only teen or person on the planet that was going through something like this. She couldn't be. Not only that, there were plenty of people who had it worse than she did. She still had two loving parents – even if the relationship was slightly estranged. She still had a roof over her head, food to eat, and people who cared. She had her life. It may not be as exciting as some, although having a ghost haunt her was different, but it was still a life. One she could choose to move through quietly and unassuming like she had been, afraid to take a risk, or she could finally take control of it and live it the way she needed to, building relationships and making friends. She had always been afraid because of what happened between her parents. Not only was she afraid of love, she was afraid of any kind of real relationship. The ball was in her court now. What was she going to choose?

Her head was swimming with everything running through it 90 to nothing. Could she forgive her parents? Probably given time. Could she move forward? She didn't have much choice in the matter. The world kept on spinning.

And she would have probably continued to ponder the mysteries of the universe (or her own personal universe) if someone hadn't knocked on her front door. Anything to give herself a break. Rushing down the stairs, she yanked open the door and wanted to immediately close it. Edward. "What do you want?" He was the one person she didn't want to see.

"I came to talk to you," he answered, his eyes darting back and forth behind her trying to catch a glimpse of something that was off. He might not have been able to see Garrett at the house, but maybe his cousin had found a way to materialize, and Garrett was the last person he wanted to see right now.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she scowled, "So talk."

"Can I come in?"

"So nice of you to actually ask before you attempt to break in and enter."

"I had my reasons!"

"Not a good one as far as I'm concerned. Why don't you just leave?"

A hard look crossed Edward's face, "You do realize that he's dead and you can't have him."

 _SLAP!_ Her hand stung from the force she used to hit him on his face. She wasn't normally a violent person, but he had crossed the line and had brought it out of her. "Don't! You have no idea what the hell is going on! Ergo, your fucking opinion is of no concern or consequence to me!"

"Bella…"

"NO! I don't have to listen to you or your bullshit! Get the fuck off my porch and away from my house before I call my dad again!"

"Bella, you have to listen to me!"

"Why? So you can break into my bedroom again? So you can spout lies about Garrett? So you can talk about what an ass he is and how you are so much fucking better? How about this… I. DON'T. FUCKING. CARE. WHAT. YOU. HAVE. TO. SAY. ABOUT. HIM. OR. WHAT. WE. ARE. GOING. THROUGH!" Each word was accented with a jab into his chest. She could see the anger and irritation burning in his eyes, growing with each jab, however, she couldn't bring herself to care.

Growling, he grabbed her wrist, "Bella…" The warning in his voice practically vibrated through his body until he cried out in pain.

She hadn't even seen Garrett move out of the house or around her, but twisting Edward's other arm behind his back he stood, once again coming to her recuse and playing knight in shining armor. "Garrett," her whispered words carried on the breeze.

"Garrett! Let me go!" Edward demanded, his grip on Bella's wrist tightening. He heard her hiss, but he still did not relinquish his hold on her.

"Take your own fucking advice," Garrett snarled uncaring that his cousin could neither hear him nor see him.

"He…He said to let me go, Edward!" She tried to pry her hand out of his grip just as he howled in pain when Garrett tightened his own hold and twisted Edward's arm higher behind his back.

With a growl of frustration, Edward dropped Bella's wrist. He hadn't meant for it to go as far as it did, but he needed her to see reason.

Bending in close, Garrett spit, "Leave."

"Leave, Edward," Bella ordered taking a step back into the house and slamming the door, locking it tightly. The backdoor was still unlocked so Garrett should be able to come in through that entrance since he still didn't seem to be able to move through objects. Odd given that he was a ghost and all of the ghost stories she had ever heard or read showed ghosts being able to do just that. Then again, he was the first one she had ever met in person.

Sagging against the door, she fell to the ground. Her life had become such a cluster since moving to Forks and she was confused about what step to take next. She had to do something though because remaining stagnant, going back and forth with Garrett, enduring the push and pull…she had to stop it. Keeping on foot in and one foot out would not help either of them in the long run. It was something she kept thinking and never managed to stay the course. It was time she did though.

She needed to talk to someone, but who? Not Garrett. He was too close to the matter. Not her parents either. Her emotions where they were concerned were all over the board. Definitely not Edward. If anything, he scared her and what he may or may not do to her. Who else did she have? Dr. Cullen? Possibly.

The decision was pulled out of her hands and put on the backburner when she got a call. Something had happened to her father on duty.


	15. Panicked

**A/N: I'm not done yet. I still have some things that need to be wrapped up in this story and then hopefully everything will make more sense. Fingers crossed. This story will be my sole focus as I try to wrap it up before the voting begins. Mfaerie, you said exactly what I have in my notes for this chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 15 – Panicked

Her heart pounded and she felt like she couldn't breathe. What had happened? What happened to her father? Bella was having a hard time thinking straight. Getting behind the wheel of her truck, even knowing she wasn't cleared to drive yet, she tried to put the key in the ignition once…twice…three…four tries. Each time she tried to slide the key in, her hand shook so much, she wound up scraping the metal ignition switch.

Frustration set in and she threw her keys down and screamed. She screamed for her father who was in who knew what condition, she screamed for Garrett because he was a ghost and trapped, and she screamed for herself because of the fucked up situation she found herself in. Maybe that's why her father did what he did, why her mother lied. She felt like she was trapped in the middle of some wacked out carnival ride that would never end.

As her voice stopped, sounds of her heavy breathing filled the cab of the truck. She didn't know if she was coming or going. Her face was red, her eyes burned, and yet, she refused to let the tears falls. She refused to cry. But she couldn't stop the couple of rebellious drops that managed to trickle down her face.

Her father was hurt and she needed to go to the hospital. She needed to get a grip on her life. Why was it so hard?

Leaning forward, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel and gasped for breath, sounding as if she was crying, but other than the few escapees, the tears did not fall.

"Scoot over Bella. I'll drive you," Garrett spoke softly, his voice muffled due to the window separating them as he tried not to spook her. One minute he had been about to raise his hand to knock after making sure Edward was gone, and the next, she flew past him and practically dove into her truck. He didn't even know what was going on, but if she was in her vehicle, she needed to go somewhere.

Somewhere, somehow, she registered what he said and snorted. Before she could think better of it, she laughed and chortled, "Yeah, that won't freak anyone out. Driving down the road with no one behind the wheel."

He couldn't help it and started laughing too, "I hadn't thought of that." He hadn't. His first and only thought was to make sure she was taken care of. Everything else was unimportant. Straightening up his features, he asked, "What's going on?"

She remained hunched over and told him, "My dad. Something happened to him and they had to take him to the hospital."

"Then let's go!"

He opened the door and pushed her over. If it appeared odd that no one was driving, they would cross that bridge when they got to it. Besides, she wasn't supposed to be driving yet and he would not allow her to risk her own life just to get where she needed to go.

A sob escaped, and behind it were a hundred more. No longer could she stem the flow of her tears, the dam had broken. "Why?"

"Why what, baby?"

"Why didn't he fight for me? Why didn't he explain himself? Why did he let me believe the worst about him?"

Pulling her into his arms, Garrett shuffled slightly so that the steering wheel would not cause either of them any discomfort and kissed the top of her head, holding her as close as he possibly could. It took him a couple of minute, but he finally gathered his thoughts and said, "I think he did." The sound of her derisive snort did not deter him from saying what was on his mind, "He did. No, he didn't move or do anything like that, but maybe he felt his hands were tied. If he had moved to California, he would have been miserable and your mother might have been worse off than she had been. Plus there was no guarantee that she wouldn't just up and leave at a moment's notice. I mean, damn, she basically was going to do that if your dad moved to Phoenix. So what was he supposed to do? Then you add in the time and money it would have taken to take it to court, he didn't have much choice. As much as I back law enforcement, they don't make much. And it wasn't like he could job hop. As for your mom, I won't say she wasn't selfish…she was. In fact, I think she thought about herself more than you and to me, she was a bitch to your father, but she is still your mom and you love her. What she did was wrong, and I have a feeling she never wanted you to learn the truth, but you do now. It's up to you what you are going to do with it. Remember you were the one that decided to stop coming to Forks to see your dad when you were younger. Not that I blame you because you believed the lies your mom told you."

She cried on his shoulder, but listened to what he said and he wasn't done.

"As for why your dad never defended himself, what could he say? At that point, you were your mother's champion and probably wouldn't really listen to him. As kids we want to believe the best of our parents and what you saw was your dad staying in Washington instead of trying to work it out with your mom. Hell, I would have believed her if it had been me. Kids think they know and it takes a hell of a lot to convince them otherwise. Trust me. I was a big time know it all snot nose kid."

"Still are," she hiccupped.

"True. I still am," he chuckled. "But I'd like to think I've done some growing up through the years." Holding her against him, was ecstasy and torture at the same time. He was a fucking ghost and could still feel his body reacting to her close proximity. Unfortunately, he would push down and bury his own desires because he couldn't be what she needed, he couldn't give her what she deserved.

"Am I just supposed to forgive her?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying, you are entitled to your feelings, but never think that they didn't love you. They each had their own reasons for their actions and those reasons centered on you. Forgiveness isn't always easy. I know that myself. I was angry at my parents for leaving me and dying. I resented them a little. And then when Edward came, I could see myself in him. He's still an unmitigated bastard for what he's doing and how he's acting, but I can still relate to the old him. This one is just a spoiled brat in need of a spanking." When she snickered, he smiled and continued, "I think parents try their best with what they are given. Some fail. Some succeed. Some are selfish. And others aren't selfish enough."

"My mom was too much and my dad not enough?"

"Something like that. He didn't want to put you in the middle of everything, and for that, I have to commend him. I've seen it before when parents get a divorce, they will use the kids as a bargaining chip or as a means to get whatever the hell they want. The kids are used against the other parent. Lies are told on both sides and the kids start to feel resentment towards one or both parents."

"I did that," she admitted quietly.

"Yes, but your dad didn't want to put you in the middle, so he backed off. I can't say that I would have been able to. I would have probably fought down and dirty, but I can be one selfish bastard. Then again, I might not have been able to do anything once I looked into the innocent eyes of my kid. Charlie accepted his decisions as his own and knew he would have to deal with the consequences…and he did."

She sat there in his arms, cuddled up to his chest and thought about what Garrett said. If it hadn't been for this whole messed up situation with him haunting her, would she have ever tried to learn the truth? She would like to think she would have, but in truth, she would have probably held onto the resentment she been embracing all her life. She would have graduated high school and said goodbye without a backwards glance. Innocent, she was not.

Scrambling off of his lap, Bella wiped her eyes and reached down for her key, squeaking when they were pulled out of her hands. "Give me my keys," she demanded.

"You aren't supposed to be driving yet," he countered, one eyebrow lifting, daring her to argue with him.

"I don't care. You aren't driving. I'm not going to be pulled over or have people gawk because there is no one behind the wheel."

"Fine, then sit in my lap."

"What?"

"Sit in my lap. If you sit between my legs, you will look like you are behind the wheel and I can drive."

Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head, "No."

"Why?"

"Because what if a dog or something runs across the street. You might not see it and then we'll be in trouble. Now…give me my keys."

Her eyes had locked with his and it was as if they were daring each other to look away, as if the person that looked away first would lose. Both refused to break eye contact, refusing to blink, but finally he sighed, "Fine. Have it your way, but I'm coming with you."

She still wasn't mentally sound, however, she was considerably calmer than she had been after getting the call. Having Garrett with her was the difference. He knew what to say and do in order to reach her, and that made her fall for him a little more each time.

This time when she tried to put the key in the ignition, it slid in easily. Her hand was still shaking, but at least it was cooperating now.

"What did they say on the phone?" He hated to bring it up, however, he wanted to know.

"They only said there was a serious accident and my dad had to be transported to the hospital," she answered a tremor in her voice as she backed out of the driveway.

Neither Bella nor Garrett spoke again until they got to the hospital. And when they were both out of the truck, they ran into the emergency room hoping to find more information.

The first person who saw her happened to be one of her father's deputies and as soon as she marched over to him, she demanded, "What happened? Is he all right?"

"He'll be fine," someone else answered.

Spinning around, Bella found Carlisle standing about five feet away, "What happened?"

"Why don't we go into my office to talk?" the doctor suggested, and when his door was closed, he answered, "Your father was on a call to handle some drunk hunters. They got scared and fired and one of the bullets hit him in the shoulder. It hit his clavicle, breaking it and then changed trajectory. It came out his upper shoulder. He'll be fine, but they did take him into the OR in order to repair some of the damage." He studied her for a moment before he asked, "How did you get here?"

"I drove," her chin jutted up in defiance.

"Well, given the circumstances, I guess you didn't have much choice. How are you feeling?"

"I'm still having headaches and stuff, but for the most part, I'm all right."

"Is Garrett still with you?"

"Yeah, he's…" she looked behind her and didn't see him anywhere in the office. "Well, he was with me when we came."

Carlisle paused before inquiring, "Have you figured out why he is here?"

This was getting personal, but it here was the person she had wanted to talk to anyway. Why not lay it all out on the table, so to speak, "We think it was for me, but I'm still not sure why. My mom lied to me and I found out that my dad tried to move to be closer to me and decided not to because of my mom." She went on to explain the whole sordid tale to the good doctor.

He sat there for a moment before saying, "Maybe everything happened to help both of you. You needed to learn the truth. Maybe you needed to mend things with your parents, or just your father, so you could move on in life without running away like your mother did."

"I'm not running away," she grumbled defensively.

Smiling kindly, he said, "You were the one that said you were going to go to college and start a new life." When she looked as if she might argue, he held up his hand to stop her, "I know it couldn't have been easy and now your whole perception has been altered, but what will you do now? Will you forgive him?"

She released a heavy sigh and admitted, "I think I already have. The first thought when I got the call was that I just found out that he wanted me, I can't lose him now." Her hand raked through her hair and she asked, "Why did you say it was for both of us?"

Carlisle's eyes darted to a picture on his desk before he explained, "Garrett was always aloof. I think he got as close as he could, as close as he allowed himself without getting too close. He never formed attachments and thought about himself more often than anyone else. Helping you, he's had to think about someone else first and foremost instead of himself. You became his priority."

She laughed at the simplicity of it all, "So he became a ghost in order to find his heart and help me learn the truth." Her head shook back and forth, "I feel like it should be so much more complicated than that, like it shouldn't be so simple and easy."

"Feelings and emotions are never easy, but as humans we also like to complicate things when sometimes the simple answer is the only one we need."

Her eyes darted around the room again. Where was Garrett? An unsettling feeling started to build inside her. "Dr. Cullen, let me ask you. When do you think Garrett will be able to cross over?"

"If it is what you think, now that you learned the truth and made some form of peace with it, and he helped you, it's possible he could cross over at any time, but I'm probably the least qualified to say. I'm not a spiritualist and I've never dealt with something like this."

She scratched her chest over her heart. An itchy pang was starting to form there. She was panicking and didn't know how to stop it. Where was Garrett? Maybe he was just wandering around the hospital. She couldn't stay in this room any longer. Standing up quickly, she made her excuse, "I'm going to go find him and wait with the others for my dad to get out of surgery."

"Bella?" Carlisle called out, but she was already gone. He could see the stricken expression, the look of worry on her face. And then it dawned on him that maybe the ghost and the girl had gotten closer than they probably should have.

Garrett had started to follow, but as they made their way down the hall, he thought he heard his name being called. Inside a small kitchenette off to the side of the waiting room, two cops were discussing Bella. "First she witnessed the plane crash where that kid Garrett died, got a concussion, and now this? Poor girl."

"I know. She's had a run of bad luck since moving here. I sure hope it gets better. Not to mention the chief getting shot…geez."

"At least those two idiots are down at the station now."

 _'_ _Bad luck?'_ Garrett thought. Maybe Bella had been hit with a string of bad luck. She had moved to a state and small town she didn't want to have anything to do with, she watched his plane go down and had to rescue both he and Edward, he wound up dying and haunting her, she had been put through the emotional ringer and somehow came out on the other side, and now her father had been shot. Maybe Garrett was a bad luck charm. Still, she was standing up to the pressure admirably and had managed to become stronger. He saw it in her eyes when she stared him down for the keys. She would be all right now. He was sure of it.

Alone with his thoughts, because no one else could see him, he leaned against the wall and waited for word about Charlie, waited for Bella to come find him like he instinctually knew she would, and he waited for the heartbreaking moment he would have to part from her.

Relief flooded her when Bella arrived back at the waiting room and found Garrett still there. He hadn't disappeared…yet. She wanted to run up to him and wrap her arms around him, taking solace in his embrace, but she couldn't. Not with the crowd of people there waiting on her father to get out of surgery. Instead, she walked up to him, standing as close as possible and allowed her arm to brush against his. She needed him.

It wasn't long before the surgeon came out of the operating room looking for her. A lump stuck in her throat as she waited for the man to divulge her father's condition. While Carlisle had said it wasn't a serious surgery and/or injury, everything had some risk. And when the surgeon announced, "He'll be fine and if you'd like, you can follow me back to recovery to see him, but only for a few minutes."

A collective sigh escaped everyone listening and Bella could once again feel tears burning her eyes, "Yes, thank you." She followed with Garrett right behind her. No one would deny him access since they couldn't see him, and she wanted him with her.

When she arrived at her father's bedside, she released a shuddering breath. He looked pale and asleep, but he was alive. His chest moved up and down as he breathed deeply…and that's what mattered to her. "Dad, stop doing stupid stuff and be more careful. I can't lose you now. I'm sorry about how I acted before, about everything…" The words were tumbling out of her mouth and she couldn't stop them.

Smiling, Garrett exited the recovery room in order to give them a moment alone. He was still close if she needed him... And when he stepped into the hall it was filled with light, brighter than he had ever seen, welcoming and embracing him as if it were his lover.


	16. Searching for Love

**A/N: Well it appears that the voting will be open next week. I'll give everyone the link as soon as I have it. As for the story…I will only say that I wholeheartedly believe in happy endings – for the most part. Enjoy!**

Chapter 16 – Searching for Love

Bella stayed with her father until Carlisle came and pulled her from the recovery room suggesting she go home and rest. Rest? Did the good doctor not understand what was going on? True, she confessed her transgressions, apologized, asked her dad to forgive her, and even cried over his unconscious body, but he was unconscious. She needed to know that he heard her. That he would be all right and pull through. Not until he opened his eyes would she be put at ease.

And just as soon as the thoughts entered her mind – thankfully before they tumbled off her tongue – she snapped her mouth closed. If anyone understood, it was probably Carlisle and his family…and he wouldn't send her home if he didn't believe her father would be all right. She was sure of it, thus with a small nod of her head, she finally left the recovery room and walked out of the hospital as if in a trance, but something wasn't right. Something was off.

Strolling towards her truck, she fished out her keys, her mind full of her father and everything else that seemed to be going on in her life. As messed up as it all seemed right now, knowing she wasn't alone, that Garrett was with her, made everything seem easier. Garrett! That's who was missing! How had she not realized it sooner? He was such a staple in her life, standing beside her and supporting her that she had gotten used to him being there all the time. Even when they were fighting or irritated with her, he had always stuck close to her. Part of it was out of necessity, but she also knew deep down inside that part of it was because he wanted to be close to her.

Her head turned left, right. She spun around to look behind her, trying to find him in the parking lot. He wasn't there. He was nowhere. The panic that had dissipated when she found him in the waiting room earlier started to return full force, worse than earlier. Was Carlisle right? Now that she made peace, was he really gone? Surely not! He just didn't notice when she left. He had decided to wait for her in the waiting area with the other members of her father's team and he didn't notice when she left. He…He…

Where the fuck was he? She ran back into the hospital not caring she looked more like a crazed escapee than a calm sane person who just happened to be looking for someone. Okay, so it was a ghost, but not one else had to know that. Waiting room? No. The only people in there were a couple of officers that continued to straggle in the hopes of seeing their chief before they returned to duty and people who were waiting for their own loved one. The kitchenette? No. It was deserted. She moved quickly up and down the halls, finding herself in front of Carlisle's office. Raising her hand to knock, she stopped when someone called her name. Whipping around, disappointment filled her when she found the doctor and not Garrett. Their voices sounded nothing alike, but she had hoped… "Dr. Cullen…"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" His eyes skimmed her from head to toe and back again, and finding nothing untoward. It could have been a mental break. With everything she had been dealing with lately, it was certainly possible and he wouldn't have judged her if that were the case.

"I'm just…Can I look inside your office?" she rushed. If he wasn't outside the recovery area, waiting room, kitchen, cafeteria, up and down the various halls, then maybe, just maybe, Garrett stood waiting for her in Carlisle's office.

Creases formed between his eyes as he frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked as he pulled out his office key and unlocked the door.

As soon as he pulled his hand away, Bella grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open so hard, it crashed against the bookshelf standing against the wall. Her eyes darted up, down, left, right. She bent over and looked under the desk. Walked inside and searched every nook and cranny. Garrett wasn't there.

"Bella?" Carlisle was starting to worry about her behavior.

"He's not here."

Her voice was so quiet, he struggled to hear her, but as he processed what she said, he finally understood why she was so eager and anxious. "Bella, where was the last place you saw him."

Lifting her hand to her forehead, she rubbed her fingers back and forth, trying to think hard about the timeline since leaving Carlisle's office the first time, "I found him in the waiting room and then he went with me to see my dad and…I don't remember him leaving or if he followed me out."

"Let's go into recovery and see if he's still there," he suggested, but he had a feeling that Garrett had finally moved on.

She rushed out without waiting on him and he had to run to catch up to her. Slapping his keycard/badge onto the panel outside the door, he punched in a code and it easily slid open. "Is he here?" he whispered.

Again she scanned the room as if she were looking for the most miniscule of evidence before her shoulders dropped and she bent her head forward, "No." Her voice was full of grief and mourning. Where was he? Would he really leave her without saying goodbye? Without saying anything? Why would he leave her? Weren't they getting along? Didn't he feel something for her? She had to get out of that room. Her father still lie sleeping in the same spot she had left him no more than thirty minutes prior, but while her father remained, Garrett had left. She felt like she was suffocating.

Running out of the room, her body propelled forward towards the wall across the hall and she slammed into it. It held her up and gave her much needed support. Her breathing was erratic and uncontrolled. She needed to calm down if she wanted to find him. She needed to gather her wits and gain her bearings. Turning, she leaned her back against the wall and stared unseeingly up at the ceiling. Where could he have gone? Did he really cross over? Was this it?

"Bella? He couldn't stay forever…" Carlisle tried to comfort her, but even he could see that it wasn't working. She was in distress.

"I've got to get out of here. I'll be back later to check on my dad." She wanted to throw-up, but instead of doing that, she ran out of the hospital and jumped in her truck. She wasn't ready to let him go. Not yet.

Her foot hit the gas and she sped out of the parking lot in a rush to get to her house, but he wasn't there. She searched all over the place for him. Out in the backyard, in the woods across the street, in every closet and room, and even in the attic that she had never been up in. He wasn't there.

She couldn't say goodbye yet.

Sliding into her truck again, she rushed towards the Cullen house, but when she started to approach the side of the road where she had parked in order to get to the plane crash, she slammed on her breaks and got out. Running into the woods without thought or care except to find him, she ignored the branches that scratched her face and arms. Her movements were reckless and sporadic. When she slid down a small muddy hill, she should have probably slowed down, but she didn't. She didn't even notice that it had started to rain again. She just kept pressing forward. And when she finally found the crash site, when she didn't find him there, her panic increased. Falling to the ground, she couldn't breathe.

Tears were running down her face along with the rain and she cried out, "NO!"

She ran her hands through her hair, wiped her face trying to free it of the wetness, only for it to be replaced with more tears and rain drops. She wasn't done yet. Getting up, she started to run towards her truck, but it wasn't easy. The same hill that she slid down was too slick to climb. She wouldn't let it stop her though. The branch she was using to pull herself up had moss covering it making it slick. Losing her grip, she fell backwards and hit a branch that had fallen.

She wasn't sure how long she had laid there when she finally woke up, but the rain had settled into a drizzle. Groggily, she got up again and tried to climb the hill and made it up. Staggering to her truck, she got in and started the ignition. She had to find him. Desperation clung to her like a second skin.

Her focus was off and the rain started to come down in hard sheets making it even more difficult to see. Still she pressed forward. She had to find him.

Between the rain and the problems focusing, she never saw it come. On a sharp bend of the road, she turned too late and drove off the road, sending her truck crashing into a tree. With one last groan, she welcomed oblivion. When she next woke up, she could hear sirens, but even those went silent. She didn't want to wake up anymore. She wanted to be with Garrett. Where was he?

It was odd that her next conscious thought or experience was standing on the end of her bed looking at her body as doctors and nurses tried to work on her. Shouldn't it feel weirder than it did? Staring at her lifeless body as Carlisle and others tried to bring her back to life. He was talking to her, but her body never responded. Is this what it was like for Garrett the last few weeks?

Walking out of the room, a bright white light greeted her and as she walked towards it, Garrett stood there waiting for her. They could finally be together! Running up to him, she threw her arms around him and gushed, "I found you!"

"You did, but Bella…"

"What?" she asked hesitantly. Why did she still feel anxiety if she was dead? Was he about to tell her that she really wasn't? Then what the hell was the white light?

"You have to go back. It's not your time."

"NO! I'm dead now. Right? I just want to stay with you."

"You are, but it's not your time. You have to go back. Your dad needs you."

His calm tone of voice panicked her. "NO! I'm with you. We can be together now." She clung to him again.

"I want nothing more than to live a life with you, but you still have so much life left to live."

"No. I love you! Don't you feel the same?"

"I do, and because I do, I have to let you go. You get to live a full life still. You get to do everything I won't ever get to do. To take that away from you and to be selfish…I can't do it. I love you, and because of that, I want you to live enough for both of us…just stay away from Edward. Hell, move back in with your mom if that's what it takes to get away from him."

"But I don't want to leave you," she didn't care if she sounded too needy, begging him to allow her to stay.

Raising his hand, he brushed his knuckles along her cheek and jaw, "I'm never leaving you. I will always be there when you need me." He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers…

Bella sucked in a deep breath and her eyes popped open. Surrounding her were doctor and nurses. The loud beeps of the machines told her what she already knew, she lived.

One of the nurses left and went out into the hall. Bella could hear her talking to someone, but it wasn't possible. Her father? Wasn't he in recovery from a bullet wound? How long had she been out?


	17. Another Reality

**A/N: Originally this story was only supposed to be about 10 chapters long, but as I got into it, I realized that in order to really do what I needed to with it, it was going to have to be a little longer. Only one more chapter after this. The premise of the story was based on the move Somewhere Tomorrow, which is from the 80s and starred Sarah Jessica Parker. Not many have seen it, but it is a cute movie. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 17 – Another Reality

Her head was spinning. Maybe it was the aching pain that made her skull feel like it was in a vice grip or C clamp and someone was twisting the handle making it squeeze tighter and tighter. Her right temple felt like someone was driving an ice pick into her head in that exact spot, the sharp pain there was inescapable. All the pain was. Her body felt like it had been put through the ringer. It was heavy and uncooperative.

After the nurses and doctors stabilized her, removed the tube that they had pushed down her throat, after they made sure that she would not die on them again, they left the room one at a time. The only one who lingered was Dr. Cullen, and he seemed almost hesitant to leave her, as if he had something to say to her, but what could it be? Now that Garrett was officially gone and crossed over, there was nothing left to discuss or say.

Smiling down at his patient, Carlisle finally said, "I'll go and get your father." No other words were uttered or spoken. He only wrote a couple of things in a chart and then left.

Bella expected her father to be wheeled in sporting the latest hospital fashion garb, but he didn't. Really, how long had she been out of it? Charlie walked in on his own two feet wearing his police uniform. His uniform! His arm bore no sling and it seemed as if he were able to move it without pain or issue. She wasn't a doctor, but wasn't this a little impossible on the healing scale…unless she had been unconscious longer than the mere hours she had originally thought.

"Bells…I just…" he began, unable to get out the rest of the words. His hands shook as he gripped his hat like it contained his lifeline, his knuckles turning white. "Why did you go alone? You should have waited for the rescue team." He ran his hand down his face before it raked through this hair and once again returned to gripping his hat.

"Rescue team?" her voice was gravely and soft.

"Yes!" His hand returned to his hair. "I just…if I lost you…"

"What are you talking about dad? I just went to look…"

"Bells, there could have been fuel leaking on the ground that could have ignited, the plane might have…" he couldn't continue.

What the hell was her father talking about? She had been alone in the woods looking for Garrett and when she couldn't find him there, she had gotten into her truck to continue the search elsewhere. She could remember that part. He disappeared after they had gone into the recovery room and she looked for him everywhere. She searched her house and then searched the crash site. She could recall falling and hitting her head before waking up and struggling to get to her truck again. And she could also vaguely remember ramming her truck into a tree…after that, nothing until she was standing over her bed and then moving into the white light where she found Garrett waiting for her. What was she missing?

Before she could ask, someone called to Charlie from the doorway, "How is she doing, Chief Swan?"

"She has a concussion, but thankfully she has a hard head. No permanent damage," her father answered.

Entering the room, the newcomer held out his hand to shake Charlie's hand and she gasped, her jaw dropping as she gaped at the visitor. How? Why? What the hell? No, it couldn't be. Garrett stood there with her father's hand in his. Charlie could see him, touch him, and converse with him. How?

"That's good to hear. My cousin and I were worried about her."

"How about you? Have you and Edward gotten the clean bill of health?"

"We were lucky. Not even a scratch. Looks like Bella and the plane were the only two casualties. I'm sorry we couldn't protect her more."

"It's not your fault, son. She shouldn't have been out there."

Garrett nodded and finally looked at the patient lying in the bed. With a small smile on his face, he approached her, "How are you feeling?"

This had to be some kind of weird dream! She had to still be unconscious, however, if that was the case, why did this dream cause so much physical pain. Not only that, but something deep inside her told her that this – all of it – was real. "Garrett?"

His brows dropped as a slight frown ghosted across his face, "How did you know my name?"

It was really him! Holy fucking shit! How the hell had this happened? No! This couldn't be! He couldn't be alive and standing next to her bed. He had died in the crash and haunted her as a ghost! This couldn't be real! The universe was fucking toying with her! "No…you're…you…"

"I?" Garrett asked and then turned to her father.

"I think she's a little confused. Doctor Cullen said it might happen with the head injury," Charlie answered.

Confused? That was the understatement of the year. She closed her eyes and tried to recall everything. She had seen the plane going down, had gone to the crash site and tried to pull both he and Edward to safety. Garrett hadn't made it. Right? Isn't that what happened? Her head started to swim making her monitors start to beep erratically with various alarms sounding off. She needed to calm down. Focusing on her breathing, her head spun making her dizzy and finally, everything went dark and silent.

When she woke up next time, she could hear someone turning pages in a book or magazine next to her bed. Slowly, she opened her eyes and allowed her eyes to wander about the room before settling on her visitor. She half expected it to be her father, but it wasn't. It was Garrett. It all seemed surreal and impossible, but what if this was real and the whole ghostly experience had been a dream? But before the crash, she had never met him. She didn't know who he was or his name. Sure, she had seen Edward in school, but Garrett was older, graduated; and yet, she still felt like she knew him better than she knew anyone else. "How long have I been out?" her voice was still scratchy and felt as dry as a desert.

"Total?" he asked, pouring her a small cup of water and helping her to drink noticing how she shivered when he touched her. Well, there wasn't anything he could do about that.

Laying back after drinking the whole cup, she nodded, "Yeah." His hands had been like ice, but she chalked it up to the cool hospital temperature. It was enough to make anyone freeze.

"The accident happened the day before yesterday, so about 48 hours."

He stared at her as if he wasn't sure what to make of this strange girl, and she turned her head towards the window when she couldn't hold his gaze any longer. His eyes were different. She remembered dark brown eyes, almost midnight, and his eyes now were more of a topaz color. "Only 48 hours since the accident?" she muttered almost to herself. She turned to look at him again, unable to stay away for too long, "And you weren't hurt?"

Shaking his head, he told her, "No. My cousin and I came out without a scratch."

"How is that even possible? You were…" She tried to focus, but it hurt too much."

"When you found us, we were getting out of the plane and trying to back away from it. And then I saw you and darted across the way to get you out of the way, but it seems I tackled you more than helped you. You landed on one of the scraps that had fallen off of the plane and hit your head pretty bad. You have a few stitches on the side of your head. Sorry about that."

She scowled as she tried to recall the events as he described them. Her memory brought up vague images that matched the ones he talked about, but those were at war with what she remembered. "You didn't die?"

He couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped, "No, I didn't. I think it's going to take a lot more than a plane crash to kill me off." Under his breath, he murmured, "A hell of a lot more."

"How?"

"I'm just hard to kill."

"No, how did…" Her hand came up to rub her head where it hurt the most and felt the gauze covering her wound. Had it really happened the way he claimed? But then why did she…why did it feel like she lived another reality with him?

Jumping up, he was at her side in less than a second, "Do you need something? Need me to call the nurse or doctor?"

She blinked. He had moved so quickly from a sitting position to a standing. Not possible. Her eyes were just tracking funny because of the head injury. "No, thank you."

Someone clearing their throat from the doorway pull Garrett's attention and he said, "I'll be back soon."

"'kay." She didn't want him to leave her, not even for a moment. If by some miracle this was real, she was ready to jump at this opportunity at a second chance with him.

"What do you want, Rosalie?" Garrett's bored tone of voice remained low so that no one could overhear them.

Narrowing her eyes, the blonde snapped, "What the hell are you doing here again? You made sure she was fine and now you need to leave her alone!"

"That might work with the others in your coven, but don't think your high and mighty attitude will win me over. I won't turn over and show my belly just because you decide I should."

"She's human!"

"So? You live amongst humans all the time. You even go to high school with them. So why the fuck should you care how I spend my free time? Jealous?"

"Hardly! It's dangerous! What if she finds out?"

"Then she does."

She hissed as she gasped in shock, "You would risk our coven and yourself just because of some human?"

"You were once human yourself," he reminded her.

"And I'm not any longer! Neither are you! You need to leave her alone!"

"Your dictate is not final and I won't listen to you."

"Why?"

Why indeed? He wasn't sure what it was, but when he looked across the crash site and had seen Bella there, it felt as if his whole world was suddenly in focus…which is saying something for him. She wasn't his singer, it wasn't her blood that called out to him. It was deeper and more basic than that. It was as if he was looking at the other half of his soul, and he couldn't leave her alone. It felt as if fate were giving them a second chance at something special even though he had never met her before in his long life.

"You're telling me that you don't care if she finds out that you're a vampire? That you don't care if she looks at you like you're a monster? Or runs screaming away from you? Or how about her thinking you're a lunatic? What if she tries to call her police daddy and has him lock you up in the closest mental institution?"

"She wouldn't," Garrett declared crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure why he put so much stock into a stranger, but he had a feeling about her.

"You don't know that! And when your secret gets out, it exposes all of us!"

Narrowing his eyes on her, his tone was sharp when he retaliated, "You knew you had to help and have Emmett for yourself. Carlisle felt the same about Esme. What is so different about them and Bella?"

"She isn't about to die! That's the difference!"

"I don't care what you say about her, she's mine!" Spinning on his heel, he turned his back on her and returned to Bella's side. What he was doing could be construed as suicidal, maniacal, and idiotic, but he didn't care. Bella was special.

"Is everything all right?" the brunette asked from her bed.

"Yeah. One of my cousins was just checking on things while she was at the hospital visiting her father."

Her face scrunched up as she tried to recall something, "Doctor Cullen is your uncle? Edward is your cousin?"

"Yeah. How did you know?" He couldn't quite understand how she knew things like this. They had never met before…ever. And yet, there was something so familiar about her.

"Want to hear a crazy story?" She wasn't sure why she was bringing it up or why she felt the need to tell him, however, she found herself spilling everything about what had happened, how he had died and haunted her. Everything including saying goodbye in the light.

When she fell silent, Garrett just stared at her for a moment before he asked, "What if I wasn't a ghost, but a vampire?" After hearing her odd story, he didn't want to hold anything back from her. Something somewhere had brought them together, and he couldn't stay away. Every time he tried to leave, he found himself back in her room unable to separate from her. While her story couldn't have possibly happened, how could he explain how she knew things about him? How he felt like he knew her…intimately? The words had spilled out before he could stop them – not that he wanted to – and he was sure Rosalie would have killed him if she knew.

"Ghosts and now vampires?" she laughed and closed her eyes, "I would say that my world is getting a little more upside down."

"What if it was true?"

Her eyes popped open and darted to lock with his and she swallowed. True? Was he serious?


	18. New Life

**A/N: Happy Pi Day and for those celebrating, Happy White Day! All a dream or was it Fate rewinding the clock? Who knows, but at least they have a chance to be together now…if Rose or the family doesn't interrupt. And what about Edward? Enjoy the new chapter!**

 **PS…Voting will be open sometime this week. I'll be sure to post the link so that you can vote for this story if you would like. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING THE STORY AND FOR THE NOMINATION!**

Chapter 18 – New Life (revised)

Garrett was delusional – either that or Bella's head injury plagued her more than she thought it initially did. How else did she explain why he suddenly thought he was a vampire? Then again…maybe it wasn't suddenly. Time and space were becoming a jumble in her head and she was having a hard time reconciling that what happened, Garrett turning into a ghost, never happened. She never got to know him the way she thought she had. Never argued with him, never had his arms wrap around her and drive out all the demons…never kissed him…never fell in love.

Tears started to stream past her tightly shut eyes, and as much as she willed them to stop, they wouldn't. They just kept flowing out of the corner of her eyes, sliding down the side of her face, and then plopping down to the pillow beneath her head. It hurt too much.

"Bella?!" Concern laced his words as he jumped up and tried to calm her down. The last thing he wanted was to upset her with his confession. Hell, the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. There was just something about her that made him want to cherish her and treat her like a rare priceless treasure. And he couldn't shake the fact that it felt as if he knew her even though they had never met before. What did they call that? Kismet? He was well over 200 years old and he felt like a young buck still learning his way around the world. Before her, before he literally crashed into his life, he was sure of himself, bordering on cocky, and he did whatever the hell he wanted to, but now, he was trying to find his footing and although deep inside he knew Rosalie was right, he couldn't walk away from Bella. Each step he tried to take that would separate them turned into pure torture and agony, as if he were ripping off part of himself and abandoning it. And yet, what could he give her? He was a vampire. She was human. The two species did not mix for good reason…and it wasn't only the blood issue. That part had become a non-issue for him about a decade before when he finally decided to join Carlisle's bandwagon and go vegetarian. He thought it would be hard, but he found it wasn't that difficult to change. Yes, the taste was different and he never quite felt satisfied, however, something about it made it enough for him. Had fate stepped in and helped him change knowing Bella lurked just down the timeline and around the corner? At this point, he wouldn't argue that at all.

His hands were cold as ice, and yet, they were also gentle and comforting. Had he been that frigid as a ghost? She couldn't remember. She could only remember what it felt like to have his arms wrapped around her, to argue with him, and to…everything. In the world she created in her head, he had become everything to her.

Slowly opening her eyes, hers instantly locked with his and it was as if she were instantly transported to the time when they were together and she was the only one who could see him. Only, that was no longer reality. Was he still the same person he was then, in her dream/past/mind/alternate reality? "You're eyes…" her whispered words sounded more like an exhalation of a pent up breath.

"My eyes?" he asked unsure of what she meant.

"They're different." They still held the same spark she remember, but the color was…off.

"Different? How…?"

"They were darker when you…when you…" She floundered unsure of what to say, and then she answered, "Before."

It suddenly dawned on him what she was talking about. To have been in her head or to have seen what she saw and lived – even if it wasn't real – he found himself wanting those stolen moments.

"Can I see?"

"See?" Again, he was lost as to what she was talking about.

Clearing her throat, she responded, "You said you're a vampire. Let me see your fangs." She may have sounded calm, cool, and collected – if one ignored the tear stains on her face – but inside she was a jumbled mess of emotion, trying to make sense of everything.

"Umm…I don't have fangs. I mean my teeth look just like yours."

"I thought you were a vampire. Aren't they supposed to have long pointy fangs to suck blood or whatever?"

He laughed. Her misguided and misinformed observation broke his tension and made him laugh. Snapping his mouth shut, he pulled back his lips so that it appeared that he was forcing some sort of smile and showed her his chompers. "See, no fangs." He found it interesting that she didn't seem concerned over her own safety. Maybe she thought he was lying about everything and therefore, didn't think she needed to be scared of him.

"Then how do you…feed," she asked unsure of what word to use.

"My teeth are as sharp as a razor blade and stronger than stone. I can bite through flesh and then drink my fill." He waited for the panic to set in.

"Are you going to eat me?" Her eyes grew at her choice of words.

His nostrils flared and he sucked in a breath, that single statement making other parts of his body respond. Tamping down his instant bout of lust, he finally said, "Uh, no…I survive on animals. I drink their blood."

"I thought vampires…" her eyebrow lifted in question and challenge.

"They do…most do. Some don't."

"Oh." The conversation waned for several minutes drowning both of them in silence before she asked quietly, "Would you have any regrets if you died today? Can you die?"

A small grin appeared lifted one side of his mouth more than the other and he nodded, "I can, but I don't know if I would have any regrets. I don't have many people I'm close to and…I just don't think I really would."

Her eyes searched his. He was so familiar and yet different at the same time.

He continued, "But I think I would have regretted one thing."

"What?"

"You."

"Me?"

"I don't know what it is, but you're important…" his words tapered off unsure of what he was saying or what he wanted to convey. His gaze turned more bewildered and he questioned her, "Aren't you afraid?"

"Of?"

"Me. What I told you?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" she challenged.

Smirking, he took one step backwards and then sped around the room, stopping next to her bed once again. Her eyes had widened, not out of fear, he saw no terror in her eyes, but out of wonder and excitement…if her increased heartrate and breathing were any indication.

"How?"

"Vampires are really, really fast," he chuckled.

"What else can you do?"

"My hearing and eyesight are better than yours. So are my reflexes."

She found herself giggling, "Not hard to best me in that. I'm clumsy."

"I would rescue you if you fell," he proclaimed, relishing the way her cheeks colored for him.

Unable to hold his gaze again, she turned to the window and stared out at the cloudy sky, "So you didn't die."

"No. Are you disappointed?"

Was she? She mourned the loss of that Garrett, but another one stood next to her apparently unwilling to leave her. He was real, flesh and bone – in a manner of speaking. "No," she finally answered. There was something between them, an electric force binding them together and while she would miss the other Garrett, he was still here in a harder to kill than it should be sort of way.

Setting down next to her bed, he grabbed her hand and held on until he noticed her fingers were starting to turn white from the chill, and then he released her hand, but never left her side.

While she remained in the hospital over the next couple of days, Garrett stayed with her. They talked about anything and everything. She was never sure why, but she never felt afraid of him or what he was, and while it might have been difficult to accept at first, she believed him.

Through their conversations, she found her Garrett and something more. He was different than he had been "before", one of the biggest differences was that she wasn't jealous of previous conquests with women. Yes, he had some relationships and such in the past, but he hadn't been a completely womanizer like she once believed. His willingness to share his whole life story and answer any question she had also surprised her. Before it felt as if she had to pull teeth in order find out anything about him. Then again, they weren't exactly trying to decide who was to blame for his new ghostly lifestyle like they had been when she believed he was more specter and less vampire.

Trying to reconcile the two people became easier as time went on. On one hand, Garrett was the gentleman with old world manners that loved to talk and joke with her. He was more open and at ease, but at the same time he was fiercely loyal, loved his family, and wanted to be with her. That hadn't changed. They still disagreed and argued – although, neither stormed out of the room – but they didn't allow that to come between them. Of course if she hadn't run for the hills after accepting that he was a vampire, then she doubted much could separate them unless they chose to go their separate ways. Neither wanted that though.

To her, Garrett was still the same only better, however, she would be lying if she said she never thought about her experience and what she went through. Was it a dream? Did she visit an alternate reality like they show in Sci-Fi shows and movies? Did she conjure up a whole new reality out of nothing? Did Fate or the universe rewind time? Okay, that last one really didn't seem possible since Garrett was a vampire and couldn't actually die in a plane crash. What then? She didn't know, but then how did she explain the things she knew and shouldn't? Part of her wondered if she had remembered the rumors bantered about the students at school regarding the Cullen family or remembered Jessica giving her the scoop on each member that had entered the lunch room Bella's first day there. Her mind pooling it all together into a dream world, creating something from nothing. It was easy to assume that Garrett and Edward were related because she distinctly remembered Jessica saying the Cullen's only hung out with their own. Why would Edward have been with him if they hadn't been related? But she had known his name and things about his personality and… When everything seemed to overwhelm her, she tried to stop thinking about it, to throw it in the back of her mind as best she could because she honestly didn't have any answers. It was like she had been transported to the Twilight Zone and then came back through a worm hole.

About six months after the accident, she and Garrett were taking a walk through the woods. Shoring up her courage, she finally broached the subject that had been vexing her for half a year, "Do you remember the story I told you when I was in the hospital?"

"Me being the ghost?" he hedged.

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

"Why do you think…?" she stopped and started over, "What do you think that was?" It was a question she never asked him and found herself more curious about the answer with each passing day they spent together.

Stopping, he gave her a long hard stare before he told her, "I don't know. I wish I could say it was this or that, but I just don't know. And I don't think it was only you. From the first moment I saw you, it was like I recognized you as part of me."

She snickered, the smile never leaving her lips when she parried, "But don't you vampires have voodoo shit that happens to you. Pulling you wherever for whatever reason?"

Shaking his head, he chuckled, "Something like that, but this was more." His eyes broke contact with her and for a couple of seconds he stared out into the woods, seeing nothing but the trees before he shook his head again and said, "I don't quite know how to explain it. Carlisle said that he felt the same thing when he found Esme, and I know Jasper felt it when he found Alice…or when Alice found him…or when she – you get the picture."

She recalled a previous conversation shortly after she had been discharged about Alice and Edward's "special" abilities, and laughed at the almost comical expression on his face. "Well, that's okay for you, but what about me?"

Leaves crinkled as he trampled them and stepped closer to her. Cupping her chin, his cold fingers whispered across her cheek, and then he bent down and gently brushed his lips against hers. Not until he pulled back slightly did he say, "Sometimes we just can't explain the things that happen. There have been numerous cases throughout history of people with unexplainable crazy stories. Maybe yours is just one of them. Maybe you were kidnapped by aliens. Or maybe you are the reincarnation of my first love. Or maybe, you had one of those out of body experiences where you go into the light and they show you an alternate reality. Or maybe, there is no explanation. I know that probably frustrates you because I know for a fact you like to know and understand. You like clear cut explanations, and you don't really care if it is the stuff of horror movies and legends." His eyebrow quirked up waiting for her to argue, and when she didn't, he continued, "But there are billions of things that exist in this universe that no one can find an answer to. Like how do I exist? I mean I was bitten and the venom changed me, but somewhere along the line there had to be a first vampire. Did God create him/her as well? And if He did, why did He create something that would kill His own precious creation? On the other hand, if it was a demon or Satan that created vampires, how do you explain the ones like Carlisle who still believe, want to protect humans, and strived to do some good in the world?"

"I see your point, but…"

"You still want to know."

"Yeah," her nose scrunched up and she smiled.

"I know you do."

"I mean before that dream, I never even thought to question my mom or dad about the past; and then to find out that everything from that was true…I just don't understand."

He wrapped his arms and pulled her into him, pressing her head to his chest where she would never hear his heart beat. After kissing the top of her head, he sighed, "Sometimes we aren't supposed to understand. We're just supposed to learn from it and move on, taking the lessons with us." They stood there in silence for a moment before he sighed heavily again, "Still not satisfied, are you?"

Snickering again, she shook her head, "Not really, but I get what you're saying."

"Good because it will be a long, agonizing life ahead of you if you keep obsessing over it."

Her grin grew, "How long?" It was a discussion they had started having recently, about her changing and living forever with him. She wasn't ready to take the plunge yet, but she knew in the future, that would be her destiny. She didn't want to be without Garrett, even for a moment.

"Very long. We have all the time in the world," he told her right before he leaned down and claimed her lips once again.

She would let it go…for now…maybe forever would give her the answers she sought. Then again, maybe it wouldn't. As long as she had him though, it really didn't matter. It was all about the journey they would take together.


	19. Epilogue

**A/N: After thinking about the last chapter, I thought I could do better and owed you better. And then after reading the reviews, I realized that I did indeed left some things hanging. I'm not sure if this will fully cover everything, but I'm wrapping up as much as possible. Some of it will be what you choose to believe happened to Bella. But before you read this epilogue, the previous chapter has been completely rewritten. Please re-read it if you have not already read it the revised copy. Thank you! Enjoy the final chapter and I will see you on the next story. Thank you again to Kantorkan for requesting this pairing. I hope you enjoyed it. For my readers, thank you for reading the story and encouraging me! I was notified that not only is this story now nominated for best Bella/Garrett pairing, it has also been nominated for the Underfictionated Award (non-canon story with less than 500 reviews). Thank you for the nominations! You have no idea what it means to me. Mfaerie32, thank you for the guidance on the last chapter and I used a little of what you said in the revision. I hope everyone likes the revisions and epilogue and that it left you a little less confused or questioning.**

 **PS...It looks like voting will open up on 3/18 and last through 3/25 at this address and then clicking on vote. (Remove the spaces)** **www. thenoncanonawards . wordpress . com**

 **Once the voting is actually open, I'll let everyone know by putting an author's note on this story. Thank you again!**

Epilogue

Life changed after Bella met the real Garrett. For most, the change was almost unperceivable, but to her, she felt like everyday something new awaited her. Her body thrummed with excitement, ready for her to discover the brilliance of each day, whether it be about herself or the world around her. So different from her attitude before, which consisted of keeping her head down and moving quietly. Not rocking the boat or making a single wave. That was pre Garrett though, when her sole goal was to survive high school and living with her father until she could leave everything behind and start her life in college. Time had changed. Post Garrett, she found herself wanting to live. No, it was more than that. She wanted to experience everything life had to offer, to find out more about him and herself.

It was with his support and encouragement that a couple months after she got out of the hospital, she finally confronted her parents. He knew she wouldn't feel at peace until she did so, but after she went through with it, she wasn't sure what felt like a bigger shock to her system: finding out that her mother had lied to her and had kept her and her father apart, creating a wedge between them, or finding out that part of her "otherworldly" experience rang true. Her mother's duplicity had been hard on her, just as it was before and wound up causing a chasm between them, while on the other hand, her relationship with her father continued to mend itself and grow. They were able to heal from past hurts.

Charlie actually wound up feeling guilty about his new found relationship with his previous semi-estranged daughter, and on several occasions, he tried to bring the two women together in order to put the past behind them. Bella tried for her father's sake, but sometimes there is a canyon no bridge can cross. She never fully trusted Renee again and didn't believe the relationship would ever return to what it once was. While it stung and hurt, Bella was able to accept it because with Garrett's help, she learned what real love was.

He had become the center of her world. Dreams of tomorrow all consisted of a future with him, and she knew he felt the same. College? He would tag along and maybe enroll himself. And after that? According to him, they would find a place for themselves and live the life they wanted without anyone else telling them what to do or how to do it. Of course when he declared they didn't need anyone else, her thoughts drifted to their families. His was less than accepting at first…as was her father. The Cullen's didn't like the idea of Bella and Garrett together. Too many things could go wrong. Too many dangers to both sides. Too much risk and exposure. However, it didn't take long before they were welcoming her with open arms…most of them at least. It was hard to turn a blind eye to how happy Bella and Garrett were together. That's not to say that everything was peachy keen. It wasn't. Edward had tried to convince her on more than one occasion during school hours to give him a chance over Garrett, which started a new set of rumors about some twisted love triangle. She always refused. About a week before their one year anniversary, egged on by Rosalie, who wanted to break up the happy couple because according to her, "Bella was dangerous to their current living status", Edward struck.

Garrett had taken her up to a clearing to watch a meteor shower and Edward showed up declaring they needed to fight to see who would win her hand. Garrett tried to turn the other cheek and get her out of there without engaging in the confrontation, but when Edward grabbed her arm and yanked causing her to yelp in pain, Garrett saw red. Edward had dared to harm Bella and for that he needed to learn an important lesson. Jumping on his cousin, Garrett pulled him away from Bella and proceeded to demonstrate the multitude of fighting skills he had acquired through the centuries. The duel turned animalistic and violent. Bella shook with fear and worry for Garrett not because of him. Refusing to back down, Edward tried to give as good as he got, however, he finally had to concede the victory to his opponent when one of his arms had been ripped off.

The fight had been terrifying, but she had also been able to see the raw beauty in the way Garrett moved. Each step precise and flowing as if he were dancing with a partner, not beating the shit out of someone he considered family. Even watching the viciousness of the fight, seeing how beastly he could be, Bella still did not fear him. She knew with one blow, one swipe, one bite, he could kill her, and she did not fear him. Didn't think it was possible to fear him. She loved him too much.

Charlie had his own issues with her dating Garrett. His daughter's boyfriend had manners, was overly polite, and treated her like a lady…but he was older. Much older. The police chief may not have known how much older, but he did know that Garrett was too old for Bella. His doubts and arguments didn't sway his daughter – not that he really thought they would. His little girl wasn't so little and after the way she had been raised, she was more mature than almost anyone her age. It took time, but even Charlie came around after Garrett had taken him out for a day of fishing. He still didn't agree with the age difference, but even he knew when to shut up and stop arguing.

None of that mattered to her. To Bella, finding him again, knowing he lived, had been one of the greatest gifts she could have ever possibly received. He made her see the world in a different way…and like in the other world, he helped her to face truths and hurts that she had never had to or wanted to face before. With him, she found her voice and became stronger.. Sometimes it seemed as if nothing had changed from her previous experience, and while it was a relief to know they weren't starting at square one, sometimes it was difficult to remember the line in the sand between the two places. Then again, Garrett always told her a line in sand was always easy to erase and/or move. She always laughed when he said that.

Shortly after Bella turned 22 and had graduated from college, her world was rocked once again when her father died of a heart attack. The moment she got the call, she and Garrett had rushed from Seattle to Forks. Her last words to him had happened mere hours before, "I'll see you tomorrow. Love you dad." She and Charlie weren't overly outwardly emotional people, and yet, she had inherent need to voice those words aloud before she hung up the phone. His response, "I love you too, Bells." Knowing they had said those words helped to stanch some of the hurt and loss, but it was a small consolation.

Her relationship with her mother was still strained and when Renee arrived for the funeral to pay her respects, Bella still felt awkward around her and had to try to extinguish the streak of anger that flashed through her when her mom started to talk about what a good guy Charlie had been. Bella would never get those missing childhood years back, however, after the truth had been revealed, she and her dad grew closer, mending broken fences and creating a stronger relationship. It galled her that Renee would say something like that after what she had done. But once again Garrett was right there, "Let it go. It's time to let it go and forgive her. I think she really regrets what she did."

"Are you telling me to forgive and forget?" Bella hissed.

Shaking his head, he answered, "No. Sometimes you can't forget, but you can forgive and move forward. I'm not saying that you need to be best friends like you once were, however, you are still her daughter and she still loves you. She had her reasons for what she did, and while they were selfish, she was afraid of losing you to someone else…even if that someone else happened to be your own father."

Her eyes moved from his to where her mother stood talking to one of Charlie's deputies about twenty feet away, and as much as it goaded her to admit it, she knew he was right. She and he mother would never regain what they lost, and yet, she did manage to finally forgive Renee that day and started calling her more. It would never be perfect and the relationship would always be left wanting, but Charlie got his wish: mother and daughter reconciled. Garrett was right, Renee was still her mother and now she was the only parent Bella had remaining.

After they buried her father, Bella had decided on another important step in her life – she was ready to become a vampire and spend forever with Garrett. That particular die had been cast years before and now she was ready to take the leap of faith and become his equal – or at least the same species. He was her future, and as cliché as it sounded, the very air she breathed. Somehow and for whatever reason, they had been given a second chance, and she would not allow herself to waste a moment of it. In her eyes, the last few years were about building her relationship with her father and living out her dreams. Hell it was all about finding herself and actually living for a change, but the time had come and she knew the rest of her life, her very happiness, lie with him; and once he bit her, she would finally wake up to the dawn of a new day and her new life.


	20. AUTHOR NOTE - VOTING OPEN!

**Thank you everyone! VOTING IS NOW OPEN! If you would like to vote for this story, please go to this address and then clicking on vote. (Remove the spaces) www. thenoncanonawards . wordpress . com**

 **Click on VOTE and from there you should be able to fill out the ballet. I believe you can vote more than once, so you can vote as often as you would like. It should be open until the 25th. Impressions is nominated in two categories: Best Bella/Garrett Pairing and the Underfictionated Award (best non-canon with under 500 reviews). Thank you again for all of the support and the nominations. It all means the world to me!**


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